Looking for a Few EPIC Men

In the past week I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and “catch up” with two pastors.  The men themselves couldn’t be more different.  One is young and still at his first church, the other is nearing retirement and has shepherded a multitude of congregations.  One is a local pastor, the other is ministering up in northern Pennsylvania.  Even their two congregations are different (rural vs. suburban, aging population vs. younger population, etc..)!   Yet during these two conversations with these two very different pastors at these two different churches the same struggle came up – how to motivate the men in their churches to “step up” and assume a leadership role in the church and home.

The one pastor posed this question to me – “What does it look like to be a Godly man?”  The other wondered “Where are the male role models in the church for all these teenage and college-age boys that God has sent me?  Why are my men content to just be boys with bigger toys?”

After my second conversation I was thinking about these questions on the drive back to the office.  They are certainly “big” questions, ones that don’t have quick and easy answers!  So where do we begin when we think about redefining “manhood” with a Biblical worldview?  I think that God is looking for EPIC men.   One of the definitions of the word epic is heroic; majestic; impressively great.  Doesn’t every guy at some level wish to be a hero?  That’s the kind of man that I want to be!

I know, I know.  Many guys are in careers that seem far, far away from being heroic.  We aren’t all called to be firefighters, police officers, etc., and while some of us would love to be able to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, being a superhero isn’t in anyone’s future.  So what does being epic mean in “real life”?  Here are some of my thoughts:

Engaged – God wants men to be fully engaged in their faith and their family.  Not acting like spectators watching life go by.  He wants men to not only be involved, but leading the way! (Deuteronomy 6)

Purposeful – God wants men finding purpose in everything they do (work and play), seeing every area of their life as way to make an impact for His kingdom. (Philippians 2:2 & 2:13, Colossians 3:23)

Interconnected – God wants men to be connected to other men in a more than “surface level” relationship for the purposes of accountability, faith growth and development, support, and friendship. (Genesis 2:18, Hebrews 10:25, 1 Corinthians 12)

Creative – God wants men to use the gifts, passions, and experiences He has given them in creative and innovative ways to build His Kingdom. (Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 2:10)

When you think about it, any man who can be described as having those characteristics in his life truly is heroic, majestic, and impressively great!  It isn’t easy to live the life that is described above, but then again nothing worth having is ever easy.

What do you say guys?  Are you ready to be EPIC?

 

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