Toy Stories: Ken — Responsible vs. Passive - Monday
Today’s Verse
Genesis 1:27a
So God created man in his own image. (ESV)
I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. And as a typical kid in those decades, I spent a lot of time at home by myself watching TV. We have some classic TV shows that came out of that era: Home Improvement, Cheers, Married with Children, Growing Pains, Family Ties, The Simpsons, among others. Looking back, I can’t recommend many of these shows now… and I’m not exactly sure how I got away with watching many of them. But the fact remains that most of these shows painted a very clear (and consistent) picture of the typical man, and most of them painted a picture of a typical dad. They showed us that the stereotypical dad is a dopey, clumsy, and somewhat dumb person. If not for his wife (or another female in the show), he would barely make it through the day.
In hindsight, that “dopey dad” that was portrayed on TV became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not only were these dads clumsy and not very bright, but they were also lovable. I’m not going to say that the downfall of men is 100% to blame on Hollywood. But what I am saying is that it lowered the expectations of what a man is. If little is expected of us, what motivation do we have to exceed that? As long as we’re nice, everything else can be looked over.
But when we look back to the creation of man, we see a much different picture. We weren’t created to be the clown. We were created to be the exact opposite of that. We were created in the image of God. If you want to know what we were created to be, just look at our Creator. He is good, just, loving, merciful, forgiving, patient, strong, wise, and responsible, among countless other attributes.
So this week (and this series), begin to separate the picture that the world paints of the typical man from the picture Scripture paints. This week, as we talk through the difference between a responsible man and a passive man, take inventory of your own life. Begin to separate the things that mirror God, and the things that don’t.
APPLICATION
If you’re a man, consider joining a Fight Club group this week. Take some time to learn about what that group is and how it will help you on your path to becoming the man you were created to become.
If you’re a woman, think through the men in your life who might benefit from Fight Club and share with them.
PRAYER
Today, pray for God to start showing you areas in your life that need to be addressed. Wives, girlfriends, sisters, and mothers… pray for the men in your life. Pray that throughout this series, they will listen to the words of their Creator, not the words society speaks into them.