The Man Making a Difference
When you think about the men who have influenced your life the most, what names come to mind?
For me, there are the obvious names like my dad, friends, and pastors. But then there are also the men nobody would know about. I am forever grateful for the way two men mentored me through my teen years. They believed in me, challenged me, and helped me walk with God. I am who I am today in large part because of the influence they had on my life. What they didn’t know is how they were preparing me for this role of serving men all across Canada.
It is not difficult to find the stories of men who are creating havoc in the lives of others. The public conversation on toxic masculinity and the “Me Too” movement have been great examples of this.
We believe it is also very important to celebrate the good and faithful men across Canada. These men are the unsung heroes who humbly seek to be the men God has designed them to be. They are men like the two mentors who invested in my life, or the guys who every day seek to be great husbands and fathers and servants in their church and community.
As I travel across the country, I am privileged to meet so many men who simply want to be faithful men. They are not looking for glory or fame — they just want to follow Jesus.
When you think about the men around you who are making a difference, I want to encourage you to do a few things:
- Encourage them. Let them know you see their faithfulness, you are inspired by them, and they have been a blessing to you.
- Pray for them. Ask them how you can be praying for them because you know it can’t always be easy to pursue faithful living.
- Celebrate them. Find ways to acknowledge and celebrate publicly the work of Jesus in their life and through their life.
I believe one of the ways we can change the story about men in our culture is to celebrate the good men — the men whose lives have been changed by Jesus and who are living for His glory. Men are inspired when they see the life of another godly man — it gives them something to aspire towards.
As you read this edition of SEVEN, join us in celebrating how God is at work in and through the lives of these men. It is my hope that all of us will recognize how we are capable of being men who leave a trail of God- honouring, life-giving impact in every environment we are in.
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