“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

Okay I know the cover picture was bad… but you laughed… or cringed.. right? I had to get your attention somehow and it worked.

Either way, I have something I want to say today, “Thank you..” to all those Christian men who feel like they are overlooked.

There is something that has come to my attention in the media and society lately and that is men are losing their place and their identities as leaders, role-models and essential members of society. They are not as edified as they are patronized. It seems that in our quest for equal rights (which equal is how we were created in the first place) we have forgotten the fundamental truth that we need Godly men.

We all make jokes about “We don’t need no man,” and you know what? We don’t have to be married. That’s true. If you feel God has called you to singleness that’s great! I am well aware that some people are perfectly happy being single and Paul was never married and brought many to Christ. Marriage is not a standard for holiness or happiness. But if I can be honest there are several reason why having Godly men in our midst is essential:

1. We need Godly husbands. 
   “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 
   My church right now is doing a series on marriage and it has opened me to rethinking some things about the marriage dynamic and reminding me of those dynamics I already knew of. If we dive into scripture we see that men and women are equal, but they carry different roles. The role of a spiritual leader is key to having a household devoted to the Lord. Growing up I saw this in my own household. Now, my household was not perfect, but I witnessed my mom willingly submitting to my dad because she knew he was a Godly man and would give his life for her. Normally women who look at their husbands like..

are not real sure about their husbands true love for them. Or just really mad…. LOL One of the two. But my point is, a woman is more apt to follow someone she trust, respects and know will lead her family in the right direction. Which leads me to: 

2. We need Godly fathers.
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV)
We are told anyone who loves their children disciplines them. There is a difference in discipline and Godly discipline. Not only correcting children’s behavior, but molding and caring for their hearts.

But for real… a Godly father not only cares for his child’s actions, but his soul. A Godly father prays for his children, leads his children and directs his children as best he can. We need Godly fathers because they can teach our young men how to be Godly husbands and fathers in the future. That is not to say that someone who didn’t have a Godly father can’t be one- some of the best men I know were not raised in good homes, but they made the choice to change their homes for the better. What if our men chose to follow Christ no matter their profession and place in society?

We Need Godly Men in our Churches and Businesses 
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 
What if the men in leadership took their places as not just a job, but a place to witness and honor God? Now even as I type this I cringe at how badly I do this in my own work place at times. Sometimes our workplaces are the hardest places to exemplify and honor Christ. Even if we are not preaching to our coworkers we can still live in a way that at least they know there is something different about us. No one sees our bad sides like our coworkers and our families. 
Can you imagine if the world was ran by men who honored God and did the best they could with what they were given? If more male bosses, male employees and even male politicians stood up for truth and righteousness. 
Nehemiah was such a man. He was in charge of building  the great wall of Jerusalem back after destruction. Nehemiah is one of my favorite characters in the whole Bible because he was such a boss. “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,” Nehemiah 4:17  
What a balla… 

One does not simply walk into a town where no one has ever met them with building materials from another place and say “I’m going to rebuild this wall!” and work with the local people to get it done in 52 days unless God is on their side!

Nehemiah was a businessman. His business was building, and even though he was not perfect, he was used by God to accomplish something fantastic. 

Men I want you to know, we don’t expect you to be perfect, and I am so proud of the men that are out there serving their wives, their children and/or their churches.

Your efforts do not go unnoticed and we need you. 

Single Godly men out there we need you too. Don’t think you are “too nice,” or “too good.” Don’t buy into the “bad boy mentality” that no girl will date a guy who isn’t the jock, the partier or the life of the scene. Please know that God has someone so special for you that will value your morals and standards. 

So if no one has told you good job today, “Good job!” 

Thanks for working those long hours. Thanks for providing. Thanks for serving in our churches and being our deacons, our elders, our preachers. Thank you for working our sound boards and cooking out in the summers for our church and family festivities when its 100 degrees. Thanks to those of you that are police officers, fireman, and other male public servants and soldiers that put their life on the life everyday. (And thanks to our female civil servants too- I think any public service member deserves a huge thank you.) And thank you to the male teachers and coaches we have that are in the tough and trying world of education that is predominantly estrogen city and teaching our young men everyday.

Thanks for being Godly men and letting Jesus shine through you! We know you are human just like us. You will make mistakes. But… we couldn’t do this kingdom business without you!

You are valued. 
You are loved.
You are useful!