Man of God 8: Ownership

 

Recently I have limited my notification of posting these and after writing this one, I am going to re-engage, based on my own words conviction.

Admittedly, my message has been a bit redundant in delivery. If you have continued to read, I appreciate your loyalty. If you haven’t picked up on it, the man I am harshly writing to is myself. I don’t claim to have it figured out, as you can see by revisiting similar themes. I do feel that this will land on something impactful, but until then I will continue to write what God puts on my heart. Thanks for your loyalty and support. 

I’ve seen firsthand what happens when men hesitate. On the fireground, hesitation can get someone killed. As a captain, the moment calls for decisiveness. Whether to push inside, pull back, or redirect resources. My crew doesn’t need me second-guessing or waiting for everyone to feel comfortable. They need me to own the call, stand firm, and lead with confidence.

That same principle holds true in life as a man of God. Weak, hesitant men paralyze families. They apologize for being masculine. They walk on eggshells, afraid of offending. They shrink back from leadership, waiting for permission. But God didn’t design men to live like that.

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 

Act like men. Own your strength. Own your role. Own your life.

The world has tried to tame men. It tells us to soften our edges, to apologize for our boldness, to shrink into “nice guys” who make everyone feel comfortable but never stand for truth. The “nice guy” is not actually nice. He’s manipulative, passive, and afraid. He hides his desires. He sacrifices his strength on the altar of approval. And in the end, he loses respect from the very people he’s trying to please.

“A man who cannot take ownership of his life cannot be trusted to lead anyone else’s.”   -Ryan Michler Order of Man

Ownership is the opposite of passivity. It means standing up, making the call, and living with the consequences.

As a father of daughters, I refuse to model weakness. They don’t need a dad who caves every time someone disapproves. They need a man who shows them what it looks like to live unapologetically as God designed him. They need to see strength under control, conviction without apology, love without compromise.

Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” 

The lion doesn’t apologize for being a lion. He doesn’t shrink when he roars. He owns his design. That’s the requirement of a man of God. Live boldly in the identity God gave you.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that. Because what the world needs is men who have come alive.” - John Eldredge - Wild at Heart

A man who owns his strength, his desires, his purpose, is a man fully alive. I’ve had moments where I let “nice guy” thinking creep in. Times when I softened truth so I wouldn’t upset someone. Times when I questioned whether it was too much to speak boldly. Every time I walked that road, it left me frustrated, less respected, and less effective. The times I’ve led with ownership, whether on the fireground, in relationship, or in fatherhood. Those are the times I’ve been most in step with who God created me to be.

Ownership means no excuses. No blaming your past, your boss, your partner, or your circumstances. No waiting for someone else to solve it. If your marriage is weak, own it. If your kids are drifting, own it. If your faith is shallow, own it. The first man, Adam, failed because he didn’t. When Eve took the fruit, he stood silently by. He failed to protect, to speak, to own his role. And humanity has paid for that passivity ever since.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 

Ownership is rooted in that Spirit. Power. Love. Self-control. Those are the traits of a man who refuses to surrender his purpose.

“Responsibility is the price of greatness.” -Winston Churchill 

If you want to be a great man, husband, father, leader; you must embrace responsibility like a soldier embraces his weapon. You must live with the weight of leadership and wear it as an honor, not a burden.

When I walk into the firehouse, my crew expects me to lead. When I walk into my home, my family need me to lead. That weight is heavy, but it is holy. It’s the design of a man of God.

Stop apologizing for being a man. Stop hiding your strength. Stop letting culture dictate your identity. Stop waiting for someone else to tell you it’s okay to step up. Own your design. Own your family. Own your work. Own your faith. Own your failures and then rise stronger.

Joshua 24:15 “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

That is ownership. That is manhood. That is the fire God placed in us.

A man of God carries scars, sweat, and strength. He makes the call. He bears the weight. He takes responsibility. He lives unapologetically as the man God created him to be.