Guys, it's just like looking at the gauges on your car, bike or truck. Each one tells you the performance of the engine, oil, water, battery, etc. at a glance. So, where are the needles pointing in the eight crucial performance areas of your life?
See that big gauge in front of you...it is the "God's Word" (Bible) gauge. We need to be daily
studying and applying God's Word to our life independent of what we learn at church or in our Bible study group (sometimes called a home fellowship). To put it bluntly, we can't do life without God's wisdom. It is the fuel in our tank. The Bible applies to every single area of our life. Emotions, intellect, marriage, family, friendships, workplace, government, society. Men, we have an awesome responsibility to be the spiritual head of the house and that means having to know what God says about various things in life. So that you can share that wisdom with your partner and children. It is a vast book that continually unravels new insight to us. Which is why it is good to use a study guide, concordance or commentaries, to assist in your study. Try to find some time each day (not necessarily the same time if that is a challenge) when you can get away from distractions and focus on the Word. One time killer is television. Another is newspapers and magazines. Can you take yourself away from the Idiot Box for 15-20 minutes to invest in your life?!
studying and applying God's Word to our life independent of what we learn at church or in our Bible study group (sometimes called a home fellowship). To put it bluntly, we can't do life without God's wisdom. It is the fuel in our tank. The Bible applies to every single area of our life. Emotions, intellect, marriage, family, friendships, workplace, government, society. Men, we have an awesome responsibility to be the spiritual head of the house and that means having to know what God says about various things in life. So that you can share that wisdom with your partner and children. It is a vast book that continually unravels new insight to us. Which is why it is good to use a study guide, concordance or commentaries, to assist in your study. Try to find some time each day (not necessarily the same time if that is a challenge) when you can get away from distractions and focus on the Word. One time killer is television. Another is newspapers and magazines. Can you take yourself away from the Idiot Box for 15-20 minutes to invest in your life?!
A gauge that sits alongside is "Biblical Instruction" which is the learning you get when you study the word with other Christians. It is good to get other perspectives on the Word. And to confirm what you have found through it. It is in these environments (eg. weekly fellowship) that your confidence grows, and you can make great friendships with other men (in which you may realise that the challenges facing you are not unique and in fact confront other men as well).
The "Application" gauge shows if you are applying God's Word to areas of your life. It is one thing to know something...it is another to fully understand it to the point that it is used in your decision-making, behaviour, attitudes, thought life, etc. There are Christians who know the Bible but don't experience any changes in their life. To apply God's wisdom to your life shows the trust you have in God...yes, you do believe His wisdom is beneficial to you...yes, you do believe that God wants you to be successful and He has a plan for you...yes, you are willing to humble yourself and change...yes, you are willing to go through the hard work of change. (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32)
"Unity" is a gauge that many men ignore. Or the needle is barely above "LOW". It is the getting together on a regular basis of men for the purposes of community, accountability, confession, and prayer (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:23-24). It can be as simple as a BBQ...watching footy on TV...a game of snooker...going fishing... Let's face it, we can talk about the things of God and share how we're doing anywhere. We are hard wired by God for fellowship but in our madcap worlds of work commitments, family, etc. we often forget to take time out "with the guys".
The "Overcoming" gauge is one that sometimes looks dormant for a while then spikes into the red zone like a top fuel dragster engine on take off. It represents our ability to address major life temptations and/or crises and to work our way through them. Often, situations hit us "from left field" when we least expect it. They can knock us for a six. Some crises are short like a quarter mile drag...others go on for weeks or months or even years like a Bathurst 12 Hour marathon. That's when we need Godly wisdom as well as the support and encouragement from ministry leaders and friends (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Each one of us has unique gifts and talents. Mine will be different from yours. At MANZONE we have a fantastic cross-section of abilities amongst our men. God has called each of us to pour out to others what He has poured into us (1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 4:11-13). Not necessarily a "ministry" position. Every contribution towards the function and growth of the Kingdom is worthy. So, check your "Talents And Skills" gauge too.
The "Impact" gauge has nothing to do with running up the back of someone. It shows if you have been investing any of your time and resources into the lives of other men. Men understand men. We're wired the same way. It is good when men get alongside each other to offer advice, encouragement, unity. We are spiritual mentors (2 Tim. 2:22; Proverbs 27:17; Mark 3:13-14) to our generation and those following up behind us.
The last gauge on the Christian man's dashboard is the "Sharing" one. It records the level of activity we have invested in actively share our faith in order to lead others into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20).
So...take your foot off the accelerator of life for a moment...put your life in Park...and check those gauges. If any of the needles are down near LOW you should make a plan to work on that area of yourself. Otherwise you could risk overheating or blowing an engine!!!
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