This morning, while I was getting ready, I was listening to the popular sports talk radio program "Mike and Mike in the Morning" as is my custom. This morning the conversation came up about the amount of time their assistants spent playing video games every week. This particular man, who is grown, married, and has a full-time job, played an average of 20 hours of video games every week. Later in the show people were emailing justifying this amount of time or more being spent by grown men every week playing video games. As I was listening to this, I began to think about if this is the kind of men we are raising in the church. As I look around, I sadly have to conclude for the most part it is. Maybe it's not video games (though often it is), but it seems we have created a culture of boys who never grow up and truly become men. Do not misunderstand me, I am not speaking against playing video games or having fun, but I am speaking against a culture in the church that grows men who sit around and play war/fantasy video games for hours on end, and never step up to the plate to join in on the battle for the gospel and for their families. We seem to have created an atmosphere of adolescence and complacency in men, to the point that they never put on their big boy pants and become the men that God is calling them to become.
As I reflected upon this, the challenge became two-fold for me. First, am I striving to become a man who is truly a man, sold out for the gospel and is strong in leading my family, or am I still a boy caught up in video games and model cars. Am I leaving behind the childish things and striving for maturity, or am I staying back in a state of immaturity where it is nice and comfortable. Secondly, what kind of men ma I building up in ministry? Are we as a church creating an atmosphere that allows men to sit by idly on the sidelines playing games, or are we creating an atmosphere that demands men step up to the plate and be leaders.
Men, which describes you? Are you truly stepping up to the plate and seeking to become a true man of the gospel? Fathers, are you raising up men, or boys who sit by and watch others take charge while they simply play games? If, in the mission of God we are truly going to have an impact , it is imperative that we be men, and raise a generation of men. So put down your Xbox controller and step up to the plate.
