Man Up-Week 1

It’s Not About the Crown

“I am King of the Mountain and nobody can knock me off!” as children we would declare such statements as a challenge to our friends, just to try and take us down.  After all, who could resist the glory of being the king?  When we envision a king, we generally picture some guy sitting on a throne being indulged by his subjects. Often, he is overweight and while dress nicely, is a bit slovenly.  Pop culture would have us in one of two camps; the careless king who does little for his people or the king who is tyrannical in his treatment of his subjects.

I am called to be “King/Lord of my domain”, what does it really mean? And what about the part about me being the “man of the house”?    Should I have a throne in my living room? I don’t think it would fit with the current décor…

Stu Weber talks about being a king in his book “The Four Pillars of a Man’s Heart” (Weber, 1997) and has some valid points about what it means to be one.   Unlike the pop culture vision of the king, Stu focuses on the balanced and self-sacrificing king.  He goes on to pose an out of balance king is one who is either an abdicator or a tyrant; but a balanced king is a provider of leadership, support, and guidance.

“God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order” (Genesis 2:15 MSG).  The man was to work the ground and “keep it in order”.  Wow, now there’s a big charge.  God creates this amazing universe, filled with all kinds of life, and says “Ok, this is yours to take care of”.  In fact, God commands it through His blessing, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28 NIV Emphasis added).

Ok, so let me recap:  As a man, I am called to be a king…I am to take care of the land, keep it in order, subdue it, and rule over all creatures…but still I do not fully understand what it means to be a king.  Here is where I turn to look at the great leaders of all time and see who really got it right…yup…Jesus.  He was a called a Rabi, Lord, Teacher, King, yet he never lorded it over His disciples.  Jesus nudged (John 6:5-6), He taught (Matthew 5:3-12), He served (John13:1-17), He loved, and He sacrificed Himself (Matthew 27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-46, and John 19:28-30) for all who were in His care (every last one of us).

All right all you men out there, here is the core message as far as I can tell: We are all kings, but the one true King, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, came to teach us.  We are not to be hard handed tyrants who rule with an iron thumb, nor are we meant to be lackadaisical and aloof letting anyone who wants them to take the reins.  Men, we are called to lead, guide, nudge, teach, inspire, serve, love, and yes, sacrifice for those placed in our sphere of influence regardless if you are a commander of an army of one, two, ten, or thousands; whether they are family, friend, colleague, or neighbor.  It’s not about the throne or the crown; kings are men of action and every action is to be done in love and with an attitude that places others first.