God has given us the dignity of causation – the power to make things happen. But this requires us to fully offer the strength we’ve been given. And we become impotent and otherwise ineffective when we allow our fears, doubts, and insecurities to hold us back. Becoming kingdom men requires us to take the initiative in offering our masculine strength.
To be sure, many are unable to be the generative men God has called them to be due to their failure to recognize and cultivate the deep desires he has given them. But others are castrated due to their own lack of initiative. Perhaps they have very intense desires; they’ve just become too lazy to do anything meaningful with them.
These guys might spend all their energy watching sports, playing video games, enjoying various thrill-seeking adventures, or the like. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these outlets, they miss the mark when there’s no focused intention on offering their strength to bless and serve others.
Our strength is intended to be a conduit of life. And this means we’re called to offer our talents, gifts, and abilities – indeed our very selves through our blood, sweat, and tears, to bring more life and goodness into the world, and into the relationships God has given us.
Of course, this means we must also enter the world of others to do so. This is the example set by Christ himself who took the first step back toward us by penetrating our reality and walking among us that we might be saved. And we’re called to follow his lead as we do our part to advance his kingdom. Initially, this is just showing up. But it’s also a call for endurance. We offer our strength time and time again for as long as it takes.
In the end, being a kingdom man requires our diligence and hard work – faithfully offering our unique strength in service of God’s kingdom of light and love.
