As A Sign Of Respect
As a sign of respect, I’m dedicating the entire month of May 2007 to the women that God has gifted to the blended, extended families of humanity’s culturally diverse global village. Since I am the “first man” my daughter will ever love, I must lead by example. I will protect her and my wife, KWiz, with my life because as comedian, Mr. Steve Harvey, says often,
“That’s what real men do.”
To help educate the men in your lives, please participate in this month’s tribute to “man’s most valuable resource” by posting a comment about books written by and about women.
We, as men, have so much to learn about the women God has commanded us to love absent any conditions. As evidenced by Ephesians 5:25-27 NASB, and Ephesians 5:33 NASB, isn’t it interesting that God did not ask women to do the same?
According to the Scriptures, God only asked the wives of men to “respect” their husbands. Do you ever wonder why? If not, reading, “Marital Love,” by Biblical Foundations For Freedom will challenge you to dig deeper into the reasons why God is challenging men to “earn” the respect of the wives in our lives.
Despite what one too many may believe, the men who have chosen to love, honor, and respect all women are hanging our ears on every powerful word you speak. Our hearts, minds, and arms are open as we both humbly and respectfully enter into your powerful presence.
We, as men, have a lot of work to do to repair the damage that’s been done by the words that have come forth out of our mouths. Matters not how much hearing the sobering truth that makes people free may hurt.
We will not run away because we’re “here to stay.” We will not defend, nor justify, our actions by scapegoating the “sins of other men.” We will not blame our misogynistic, dehumanizing, demeaning, demoralizing, devaluing, denigrating, and dishonorable behavior on what happened in times past. If we try, don’t hesitate to check us and if necessary, kick us to the curb until our actions speak louder than our words.
There’s an excellent book, No More Excuses, by Dr. Tony Evans for the men to read who may not understand that we must choose to do better now that we know better. As always, the choice to do so will keep you from falling to your knees and saying,
“Baby, please don’t go!!”
Yesterday is now history. Our women don’t care and don’t want to hear about what “so-n-so” did yesterday. Two wrongs don’t make it right. Today is a new day. Women the world over are hurting today because of what’s still happening today. I’m challenging all men to simply say, ” I hear you,” whenever the women God commanded us to love challenge us, confront us, and constructively criticize us. Only then will our wives and the women in our lives begin to respect us.
Think about it. Difficult? Yes! Impossible? No! Together, we can beat impossible odds and complete what appear to be an impossible task with God’s help. Are you willing to try? For our women’s sake, I hope you will take the time to let our “unsung sheroes” know beyond the shadow of any doubt that we hear their cries for our help.
So men, let’s not blow it this time because we may never again get a second chance to earn the respect and love of the women who birthed us, nurtured us, cared for us, raised us, supported us, stood by us, cried and died for us, paved the way for us, and saved us from ourselves when nobody but Jesus loved us in spite of ourselves.
During the month of June, I will give the women an opportunity to highlight the real men who have courageously risen to the occasion during what I honestly believe is yet another divinely ordained opportunity for tremendous personal growth.
How many of you believe that leaders are made, not born? How many of you believe that women are better leaders than men? Please feel free to elaborate so that we can engage one another in what I hope will become an enlightening discussion.
Please pray without ceasing fervent effective prayers that will availeth much for each of us as men individually, and collectively, spin from within and begin something new with our God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. With your help, the real men in your lives will learn to respect “the power of a wise woman’s words” as our humbled souls turn in the refining fire of Adversity’s fiery furnace.
Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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9 comments May 4th, 2007
