Thursday, January 15, 2009

Love and the "Real Man"

By Taft Ayers
Too many people say love is impossible to understand or define. Love is action. A real man will love a woman the way the Bible says to. The most militant feminist would not condemn a love like that.

I would never say that I am the definition of what a real man is, but I'm not ashamed to say I'm working toward it. I want to be the best man I can be, and before it's over I'm trying to come close. A real man will treat his wife right. He will be a servant rather than a master. He will do the right thing because it's the right thing. He will give a hundred percent no matter what he's called upon to do.

And how will a man know when he's a real man? When he seeks to serve. When he can sit down with his wife and honestly look to fulfill her needs before his own. He should ask, "What can I do for you?"

Society says a man should find a gorgeous wife who will take care of his needs, make him happy and serve him. She becomes a part of his orbit, makes him proud, and he gives her everything he thinks she wants. But she's miserable. She's in second place. He can't put her first because that goes against everything he feels and has been taught. Just like everything else God made perfect, the world has flipped this around. There's a counterfeit of the real thing being sold on the market, and it's called lust.

It's exciting. It looks good. It's even satisfying for a while. But it's not true love. It's backwards. It fulfills our desires first, even at the expense of the person we are supposed to love. There is a big difference, and we men need to learn and know it. Lust takes, for our benefit. Love gives, for the benefit of the one we love.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

awesome. there are some preachers (not to mention husbands) reading the site right now taking notes.

awesome.