Men receive a lot of criticism, both from women as well as other men. Some criticism is deserved; there are certainly men who are making poor, hurtful, irresponsible, and/or immature choices. But it seems that the criticism often isn’t counter-balanced with honor for good men (unless you’re a soldier or firefighter or the like). “I’ve often noticed that sermons on Mothers Day tend to gush over moms, while on Fathers Day they tell dads to shape up.” I haven’t paid a lot of attention to this, but I do have the impression that the church tends to be critical of men.
Today I want to honor men. I want to honor all of the men who are doing their best through the monotony of every day life. They love their wife and kids and do their best to juggle schedules and demands. They aren’t receiving praise or recognition—criticism if anything—but they do it because they know it’s the right thing to do. This isn’t an easy task especially when there’s little support.
I know plenty of men who sincerely desire to follow Jesus fully, who try to do what it takes in order to do so. They meet together in groups, go to conferences, and read books to try and figure out how they can be better men. They volunteer their time, give of their resources in order to help others without seeking thanks or recognition. (I want to suggest one of the main reasons men aren’t doing better is that they have little guidance, and what is offered is often misdirection which brings confusion or hurt more than help.)
Good men certainly exist and aren’t as rare as many would suggest—just unnoticed much of the time. I honor you. Keep up the good work!
photo credit: Sean Molin Photography via photopin cc
