A Definition of Manhood – Principle 3

From the Book ‘The Resolution for Men’ by Stephen and Alex Kendrick and Randy Alcorn – from Chapter 4, Be a Man of Responsibility.

A Man Embraces Responsibility

 ‘Men are happiest and at their best when they are responsible – and at their worst when they are not…We must resolve to fully embrace all of our responsibilities before God.

The main concept of responsibility is that you are being entrusted and empowered by a higher authority to care for something or someone. And along with this empowerment come the blessings of doing it well or the consequences of doing it poorly.

The first thing God did after creating the first man, Adam, was to give him responsibilities. He placed him in the garden “to cultivate it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). This meant he was to work it so that everything under his care would bloom and stay protected. In tandem with this responsibility, God gave Adam increased value, freedom and the ability to enjoy the fruit of his labor. And just like Adam, we too are wired and empowered by God to accept responsibility into our lives..Sin makes men tend to resist responsibility, but embracing it is part of our manhood.

When a young man is passive and irresponsible he greatly limits his freedoms, opportunities and success. Whereas responsibility builds up a man and everything around him, the lack of it only weakens and destroys. Irresponsible men are dangerous to whatever they touch.

Responsibility calls us to action and tests us. It reveals our character, our caliber and our commitment. It is both a gift and an honor. And the more maturity a man has the more responsibility God can trust him with.

 Don’t force your wife or children to shoulder what rightfully is on you. While you live and breathe, resolve to bloom and protect everything under your care.

Embrace responsibility! Love it! Live! Teach it to your children. Model it at home and at work. Initiate it with the other men around you. Be the man who makes the call and takes the heat. Come up with the plan and make sure it gets done. Own your mistakes and clean up your own mess. Beg God for wisdom and the guidance to do it well, and then trust Him for the courage never to run from it. “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.” (Luke 12:42-43 NLT)

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My Thoughts

Many men are fortunate in that they learn responsibility when they are young from either a father or a grandfather, participation in sports or music or theater, school work, part time job or military training. But these responsibilities are learned or driven by external sources.

If you haven’t had that opportunity or you didn’t heed the advice or you walked away from that opportunity earlier in your life you still can embrace responsibility through a mentor, the Bible, books, DVDs and CDs, seminars or a combination of all. Pray for God to provide direction, a mentor and the ways to gain wisdom that will help you grow and mature in this responsibility.