Wait for the Lord

Wait for Adonai. Be strong, let Your heart take courage, and wait for Adonai.

Psalms 27:14 TLV

I need one of three things:

1. A good long cry. More snot the better.
2. A good long laugh. The more belly hurting the better.
3. A good fight. Let us swing until we wear ourselves out.

Sad thing is, neither number 1 or 3 is consider manly in today’s world. And that is part of the problem. I grew up in a world where boys could fight. Most of my friends were first my enemies. New kid on the block or in class, or jackass one street over talking smack about our street. We circled each other for a bit, sometimes for days or weeks but you knew where it was heading, and then that moment. You both could see it in the other’s eyes; “I’m tired of you, I’m tired of your crap, and ima bout to beat it outa ya”.

And you did. And there was no real clear winner. Because you were kids, not some highly trained hand to hand combat badass’. No, just dumb kids wailing away on each other until you couldn’t lift your arms anymore. Then you could see a different look in each others eyes; “He stood toe to toe with me, never waivered. I like this person. Let’s be friends”.

And you were. And all was well, you both went on with being boys and didn’t grow up to be serial killers and punchers of kittens. Amazing.

Today though, fighting between boys seems to be consider a crime against nature, and if two boys get in a tussle, then off to the psych ward with them, the deviants. Same with men. We’ve created a world where the most a man can hope for is to be considered a really nice guy. Or a criminal. Take your pick. Cause there are criminals in this world, real bullies, and yet we expect men to do what? Call someone else. Screw that. God made us men, and if there’s a problem right in front of us, and it needs a good, strong fist to resolve it, then resolve it… When the hell did we lose this right of being a man? We celebrate boxing and MMA, yet expect normal, everyday Joes to just be passive. It’s bullshit. It’s a contradiction.

Now, I’m not advocating for men everywhere embracing their inner bully. No. But how many of the problems in our world right now are because men have gone quiet? For decades they’ve been told they were the problem, they were too mean, too rough, too manly. Toxic. So, all right then kiss our asses and have at it, we’ll go watch football and check out. Get drunk, watch porn, work late cause why be somewhere where we’re told we’re the issue.

And yet, God still is the same. And He has the same expectations of men that He did when He made Adam. From our God, who made our first father in His image, right up to you and I, the expectation is the same: be a man. Be a shelter and a covering for your family and friends and those you love, and set your face like flint when someone threatens your tribe, cause usually all anyone needs to know is that there’s a man about, and the expression on his face is enough to send trouble packing. But if it’s not, then go to war with extreme prejudice. As John Eldridge tells it, “Be a man. Let the world deal with it”.

So, if I wanna cry, I’ll cry. I don’t care what anyone thinks about that, and neither should you. If I wanna laugh, I’ll laugh. Just as soon as I find something worthy of laughter in this world that has completely forgotten what humor is.

But if I wanna fight? The reality of it all is that you and I are actually in a fight for our lives, and the lives of our loved ones, every single day. And it’s this daily fight that for me right now is so ugly that I’m in tears at some point every day. It’s this fight that has me begging for something, anything, that I can actually put my fists to. A tangible, real threat that I can beat the ever-loving snot out of. But those fights are few and far between in adulthood. Probably a good thing; I’m too damn old to be fisticuff’ing every day.

This fight where every day the enemy comes hard for my identity, my strength, my determination…this fight sucks. Every damn day here it comes. Another fight with the wife, or another issue with a bill, or a supplier or customer. Joy stealers every one. And yet it is right here, on this thin line between worlds, where a man is made or shattered. Cause the trick to being a man, to learning that you have what it takes, is to learn that what you have is actually not yours at all. It’s a gift from a loving Father, it’s a blessing from a warrior Savior, it’s counsel from a wild Spirit. It’s strength, God’s strength. It’s His affirming, understanding, been there done that Son. He overcame, He lives in me, so I overcome.

Why do you think that Jesus told us that He and His Father would come and make Their home in us? Tabernacle with us? Fill us with the Spirit of the Lord? It is not to make sure we behave, be good little boys. Cause He didn’t make good little boys. He made MEN. In His IMAGE. He commissioned us to go forth and claim dominion. He did not tell us to only claim dominion if no one fought us over it. He did not say give up if someone else wants it, or if someone’s feelings get hurt, or if the world decides that fulfilling the charter of God is a micro-aggression. Heck, let us major-aggress. Please.

We are to be loving, but not loving doormats. We are to always start with an extended hand, open arms inviting a hug. But when we find ourselves in a fight, well then let us fight. Our families are counting on us.

He will come through with exactly what we need right when we need it.

We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. Yet, here He is. All we ever have to do is what He told us do. Wait, be strong, take courage, and wait. And while we wait, we fight. Otherwise, what is there to be strong for, to take courage for? It’s for the fight, while we wait for the Lord.



Be blessed, be strong…Jason.

Ancient Path Counseling

We’ve walked the path. We know the struggle and the work. We know freedom.