By Dr. Jeff Klick

God made me male, and I am very glad about it. Is that shocking? Can we men still say that in our day? Oh well, I did say it, or at least wrote it. God made me a man, and I am very thankful.

In our current environment, to say such things is almost immediately deemed offensive to the females among us. What are we guys supposed to say, “Man, what a bummer I was not made a woman?” It seems that our culture would prefer that we were all female, or at least sorry to not be one if we happened to be born cursed as a man.

I won’t do it! God made me male, and I for one, am grateful. I don’t dislike females. In fact, I have been married to a marvelous one for over thirty-eight years. I have two wonderful daughters, and seven out of my ten grandchildren are girls. I love girls. I am just glad not to be one.

After being a man for so long, I can speak to some of our problems, concerns, and issues that we face as men. I can provide you with some insights and even some hints on how to pray for us if you like. If you do like, and want to know, read on.

We men face work pressures. We are called to provide for our family, and we have a measure of healthy pride in doing so. We feel horrible when we can’t, or provide less than we want to. In addition, many of us struggle with our work wondering if we really are making any kind of difference. We work our whole lives, leave a company, are replaced by who knows who (or a computer), and are not even remembered anymore. All the time, sweat, deadlines, headaches, and we are often forgotten quickly.

We face pressures to be the husband God wants us to be. Most of us know the Scriptures about dying to ourselves, loving our wives, and being the spiritual leader, and squirm accordingly.

We face pressures to be the kind of dad we want to be. We want to invest time with our kids, lead them, train them, and develop a relationship with them. It is hard sometimes to work all day, walk in the door, and become the disciplinarian when we just want to unwind a bit from the stress of the day.

At the risk of irking some of the female readers, let me wander into a realm where angels fear to go. We men face a moral purity battle, and most of us hate summer. Temperatures rise and the clothes come off. Everywhere we look, there is skin, tight clothes and temptations. We want to just shout sometimes, “Give me a break. Come on, put some clothes on. Buy a bigger size or two.” And that is in church, not counting the malls, or the ads we face.

Who decides what clothing is popular anyway? If it is a man, I guarantee they are not a godly one. Right now, skintight clothing is in vogue. I mean, come on, spandex does not cling as tight as most of the clothes women are wearing. Why would a godly woman, young or old, want to wear something so tight that a mole can be seen through it? Is it really necessary to wear a smaller size? What parts of your body are you drawing attention to anyway? And as long as I am asking, why? Do you have any idea what the brothers are dealing with? Maybe you should ask one some time and find out. End of tirade, but I feel better anyway.

I understand the battles we men face because I am one. I have no stones to throw.

To my fellow men, I want to give you a glimpse of why it is worth it. Why it is good to fight these battles and not to quit. Our lives are passing quickly. We spend a great deal of time working, sleeping, and eating. We can get lost in the forest with all of the trees in the way.

Our lives have a purpose. A meaning. We have a mission. Part of that mission is to leave a legacy. We are making a deposit in the next generation and those after them by our lives. Our faithfulness, endurance, and faith matters. There are many that will look to us, remember us, quote us, and imitate us for generations to come. Our lives matter. We are building something that will last. Our lives help shape those that follow us.

Money is part of what we leave behind, but also a wealth of experience, mistakes to avoid, wisdom gained, and truth engrafted. We are not to consume everything on ourselves, but think of those that walk in our wake. We must share with those connected to us. We share the good and the bad.

It is easy to believe that what we do as a man does not really matter much, but that is a lie. How we live our lives matters a great deal. We model Christ to those that we know. We speak for Him by how we live. We present a real, live example. We are not perfect, but we love the Lord. We fail, but we get back up. We make mistakes, but we press on.

Each of us is uniquely equipped to reach those around us. Each of us is handcrafted by the Master to be an effective tool in His hands. Chosen, honed to a fine edge, created for good works, beginning with those right around us. We are a magnificent work!

Does that shock you? What an ego you have dude. Not really, I am just quoting Scriptural truth. Consider these two passages:

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

If we are born again, we are an “anyone.” The old has gone, and the new has come. And, this means we are now children of the King. We are princes. We are children of God, and therefore God is our Daddy. We have value because of Whose we are.

We are also His workmanship, and God does not make junk. We are created to do good works for Him. We are unique expressions of Christ, made in the image of God, called, and equipped by God to leave a legacy to those that follow behind us. This is not power of positive thinking but correct, Biblical understanding of who we are in Christ.

For the record, quit talking badly about God’s kids. Either other ones or yourself. Knock it off. The devil does not need an advocate, nor help in accusing the brethren. Start speaking the truth – we are God’s children, dearly loved, created just the way our Father wanted to create us. We are a magnificent work in progress destined to do works that God has prepared for us. That is the truth, even for men.

I mentioned that I would give you some hints on how to pray for us, so here they are. Pray that we men would be faithful. That we would learn how to love our Savior, our wives, family and those around us with a Christ-like love. That we would find purpose and meaning in our lives. That we would honor our words, and learn how to make a difference in our world. While I cannot speak for all men, I know many, and this one included, that would be grateful for prayers like that for them.

While I dearly love the women in my life, I am so very glad my Heavenly Father made me male. I trust, hope and pray that you are grateful for the way you were made as well. The point is not whether we are male or female, but Whose children we are. Now, go do the work your Father has for you to do, and enjoy the journey.

Dr. Jeff Klick

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