Men have a reputation for overlooking, ignoring or accepting the way things are and showing little interest in making a change, particularly if the change might be painful. It is true that there are exceptions among us, but nevertheless we sometimes can be slow to admit, accept or take responsibility for personal things that may need to be changed or improved.
So what I am calling all Manly Men to do is to be honest in looking at yourself. Open your eyes and see what needs to be changed (as I've said before, your wife can often get you started in seeing things that you've allowed yourself to be blinded to). Accept that these things can only be taken care of by yourself and they cannot be blamed upon others, especially your wife or your mother.
Being Manly means to be willing and able to see what is real and to recognize what needs to be changed, then of course to put in the effort, despite the embarrassment or pain to make the change. You may find you need to ask forgiveness from others in this part.
I will admit that sometimes change will need to occur in other family members, but your focus should be on the changes you need to make and then when you are in a better place to encourage positive change in others.
Men must view their own selves, actions, thoughts and attitudes and accept what needs to be changed, then learn how to make that change and take all the time needed to make the changes permanent.
"The Lord seeks to transform our nature, not just to modify our behavior. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power by which we learn to root out the causes of our spiritual illness rather than devoting all our time and exhausting our strength in the alleviation of the symptoms." Robert L. Millet (Men of Valor p. 78)
The gospel is the only way that we can even determine the actual causes of the changes we need to make, and much more provides the method to make the change. It also provides the reasons to change and can help with the motivation to make the changes.
This is not to imply that we are the only ones that have spiritual illness that needs rooting out and filled again with spiritual manly man strength. Instead it means we are theonly ones that can take the responsibility to change ourselves and lead out as an example to the rest of our family to encourage them to do the same.
Lead out by
Rooting it out
then replace it
with something better
closer to the man we are created to be
until the day comes that we are like Him
and then we will fully know ourselves for
who we really are, have always been intended to be
but needed to become.
