FOR MEN ONLY

We are all inspired by the story of when Elijah called down fire from Heaven and defeated the prophets of Baal. However, we often forget that Elijah felt defeated and alone even after such a tremendous success.

As men, we want to have great success stories and live on those 'mountain top experiences,' but we must not forget that we find our greatest successes in our daily walk with God.

We all know that the devil will use different tactics to try and break us down, steal from us, and hinder our relationship with God. Knowing this, we must keep our eyes peeled to recognize when this happens and stand against it. Unfortunately, however, we tend to look for big attacks, while the enemy starts with small things that seem meaningless.

As men, we must learn to stand and fight against the little things because the enemy's tactic is to slowly chip away at us until we feel we are under a massive attack with no way out.

Has anyone ever called you stubborn? It's common among most men to be characterized as stubborn, but that does not mean it should be expected.

God wants us to be flexible, moldable, and easily moved. He is trying to lead and guide us, but He won't force us to respond. Don't miss God's leading because of your stubbornness!

Being good at being a man requires a strength that only comes from the basis of conviction in your own heart as you work out your relationship with God.

We can be good men and do the basic manly things, like lifting, and being full of strength in all that we do or say.

But to be good at being a man, we are required to continue in that strength while we act and respond from a place of love.

Honour means: "To have the highest respect and value for."

The question that needs asking is "Why do we struggle to give honour?" Often times we have grown up in homes or cultures that do not give honour when it is due. We must change the way we think!

The Bible tells us to see others as better than ourselves. Although that's not something we typically want to do, it is a must! Whether we like or dislike someone does not matter, we give honour because we are commanded to be honourable.

Do you find yourself easily hurt? Do you overcompensate? Do you feel the need to overachieve? Do you wonder if people like you or if you're good enough? Do you try to be noticed?

These are all signs of insecurity, an issue that we all face to some degree. We must realize that God's enemies are working overtime to steal the identity that comes from being in Christ. We must strive to hold onto our identity!

Most of us men have grown up in a culture where women do the talking, and men tend to stay silent. We avoid vulnerability in conversation and hide behind other topics like sports, hobbies, and ambitions. There is nothing wrong with those topics, but we use them to avoid being honest about issues we face. When we do this, we are hindered from spiritual growth and limit ourselves by being unwilling to be honest, transparent, and accountable.

No man likes to be called a baby, yet many men act in a childish manner.

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves how we are acting and how we are speaking so that we can mature and become kingdom men rather than just mere men.

In this day and age, our culture is trying to instill in men that maleness in itself is toxic. It wants men to believe they are no longer needed and that they are simply not good enough anymore. But, when we look at the Word of God, we find out very quickly that men are meant to be filled with confidence in who God has made them be. Confident men are honest, they are leaders, and they encourage other men to also be confident!

Have you ever held a grudge against someone? Does an alarm go off inside of you when you see someone or think about them? This is what happens when we have unforgiveness towards a person for a thing that they have done. We need to work to keep our hearts right towards people so that we can live freely. Take a listen to find out just how you can forgive others and live in complete freedom.