The battle is raging.
Where are we, men? Do we even know there’s a battle? Are we fighting? Or have we abandoned our posts?
We are under attack! Our families are being separated out and isolated! Just look at divorce. Loss. Loneliness. Isolation. Addictions. And apathy. Men, we have to wake up!
Our children are exposed and vulnerable! Our neighbors, literally across the street from our mancaves and homes, are suffering! The poor, the broken, the weak, the wounded, the widows and orphans, are crying out for help!
Where are we, men?
A few men are emerging from the smoky haze. There are some already going among the ranks. They are quiet but selfless. They are helping the wounded. Repairing the walls. Shoring up the foundations and securing the defenses. Several are going out and scouting out the enemy’s positions. Yes–there are some, fighting with great strength!
But they are few. Where are the rest?
In the smoke, Jesus, we need to see you, clearly. You are our only hope.
Behind. Overwhelmed. Busy. Incapacitated. Just trying to survive. Exhausted. Weakened–we need relief. Some are down–lying wounded. Bleeding. In pain. Some are dead; the battle is over.
But many of us are sitting down. Surrounded by food and drink. Laughing and enjoying ourselves. Eating our fill. Oblivious to a battle around us. Weapons have been dropped and abandoned. Posts are empty. Families and relationships are being taken away. Our houses plundered under our noses.
Everything that really matters is walking by, and we are sitting oblivious, lost in our own selves, seeking our own comfort.
Who would think about picking out a nice, comfortable spot to settle in when there is a war raging all around? Yet I do it regularly. I look for comfort and ease. I drift toward what feels right to me. I forget to fight for what matters, or worse yet, I become apathetic, lazy, and cozy.
Open my eyes up! This is not good: If I don’t fight this drift, darkness and decay, I will be dead by sundown. And yet near me, within reach, is everything I need to be victorious: God’s truth. Christ’s righteousness. The Good News of the Gospel. Salvation and Faith. His Word. His Peace. The Holy Spirit. Do I even know what those things mean, much less how to wield them in battle?
God—open our eyes to see what matters to you. Wake us men up to the battle around us—don’t let us sleep! Equip and prepare us to fight, truly fight this battle for hearts.
In the smoke, Jesus, we need to see you, clearly. You are our only hope.
“May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” Colossians 1:11-14