Lessons From A Mighty Man of God In Training

Last week a student came into class and asked me, “Mrs. Yolanda, do you know what I am?”  I expected the typical four year old boy response: superhero, ninja or pirate.  His answer totally blew me away. He stood proud, his little chest puffed up, looked me straight in the eye and said, “I am a mighty man of God!”  The awesome thing about this little boy is that you can clearly see the makings of a mighty man of God in training.  He is genuinely kind and compassionate, concerned when other children are hurt or sad. He is also a hero in the making, telling all his friends in class, “If you’re in trouble, I will protect you with my ninja moves.”

Is this little boy perfect?  No.  But mighty men of God never are. God does not call or use perfect men. The Bible says:

Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life - what is considered to be nothing - to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. So no human being can brag in God’s presence.  1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (CEB)

The book of Job says that God ignores those that claim to be wise (37:24).  He has no use for them because by calling ordinary men to do extraordinary things, God gets the glory.  Jesus later confirmed this sentiment in Luke 10:21 (NLT).

At the same time, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and He said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleases you to do it this way.”

The Bible is full of imperfect men that accomplished great things for God.  God uses us in spite of our shortcomings and weaknesses if we have the one quality He can work with, FAITH.

• Abraham’s faith made him a friend to God and the father of many nations, yet he was not perfect.  Abraham had a tendency to distort the truth under direct pressure.
• Moses lead God’s people out of Egypt and to the promise land even though this journey took forty years. Moses spoke to God and recorded the Ten Commandments, yet he was not perfect. He misrepresented God and was not allowed to enter the promise land.
• David, the greatest king of Israel, battled lions and bears to protect his sheep as a young shepherd. He defeated the giant, Goliath, using a sling shot, stones and faith.  God called him a man after His own heart, yet David was not perfect.  He was a betrayer, adulterer and murderer.
• Paul, the apostle, was steadfast and determined to spread the gospel to the gentiles even though he was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually killed for his faith. His writings to the churches make up a large portion of the New Testament, yet he was not perfect.  Before his conversion, he was a zealot intent on destroying Christianity by persecuting Christians.

As you can see, real mighty men of God are flawed. What makes them mighty is that they keep their eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects their faith. (Hebrews 12:2)  Paul put it best, “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.  Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” (Philippians 3:12 MSG)

What does a real mighty man of God look like in my house? For one, they stick around through the good, the bad, and the ugly. My husband recently shared that he was sorry he could not remember feeding our infant daughter or changing her diapers.  I reassured him that he provided a service far more valuable. He went to work everyday so that I could stay home. He has been there for every parenting crisis and success. He also stuck by me during postpartum depression. When we determined it was best not to have another child due to fear I'd relapse into depression again, he had a vasectomy without complaint or hesitation. He decided it was better to have surgery than risk my hormones going wacky. Smart man! He is a loyal friend with a good heart. I should know since he has become my best friend.

What makes my husband a mighty man of God is not that he attempts to be perfect, but that he knows his weaknesses. When trouble comes, his first response is to close himself off in his room to read his Bible and pray. I told my husband, "Don't feel bad about the feeding and diapers, you have the harder job. It's up to you to show our daughter what a mighty man of God looks like. You have to fight off all the Goliaths that come her way."  I’m not worried because I know my man is up for the challenge.  I pray my daughter meets a mighty man of God because I give thanks everyday that I married mine.

Men, if you are still not convinced that being a mighty man of God is worth it, let me share some lessons from a four year old mighty man of God in training.
1) People follow mighty men of God because they are natural leaders.
2) People are drawn to mighty men of God. The boys in our class vie for this young boy's attention because he goes out of his way to befriend the shy and timid.
3) Mighty men of God find their joy in the Lord. My young friend is fun to be around.

4) This last one should convince you. Being a mighty man of God is going to make you a “chick magnet”.  This little one already draws the girls to him without even trying.  I am not even immune to his charms. Last week at the end of class, I looked over at my young friend and he blew me a kiss from the carpet!  I just smiled because my heart was full of joy.  I wish I could see all the great things that God has in store for this little one.

So men, the gauntlet has been thrown by a 4-year old boy. Are you up to the challenge? I pray you are because we, the mother’s of daughters, are counting on you to be mighty men of God.

Love,
Yolanda

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)