As we look to Jesus, we see much more than an example. He is the one who enables us to become like Him because He frees us from the guilt we feel when we see how short of His perfection we have fallen. He is not only the true man. He is the only true Savior. Stay blessed, stay strong and build your family and community for a better tomorrow and a promising future in Christ.
We have a lot of ideas of what the perfect man should be. If you buy a copy of Alpha Male you will see that some people think it is the man who obtains the perfect body by spending countless hours in the gym getting ripped.
In the corporate world the perfect man might be someone like Robert Ringer who wrote Winning through Intimidation, and Looking Out for No. 1, as the way to succeed in business. You might think of a man who has been through sensitivity training — one who has read Daniel Goleman’s book, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, where he talks about self-awareness, and relationships. You might think of a celebrity, a singer or a New York fireman. But how many people would think of Jesus?
We’re caught between Don Draper as the alpha male and a whole crew of omega males like Judd Apatow. One tries to express masculinity through power, possessions, and promiscuity. The other group has stopped trying altogether. Unlike us, these other guys seem to be getting something out of their isolation and discontentment, their rebellion, and their lack of discipline. We’re stuck with pain and hardship.
MEN ARE EXPERIENCING IDENTITY CRISIS.
We need a more compelling vision for masculinity. We need to see a man so utterly rooted and secure in his identity that he can actually embody masculinity for us. A man with no crisis of identity, pursuing his calling with passion and persistence. A man whose masculinity is not vain and self-serving.
We need to look to Jesus, the true and perfect Man. Jesus really was the perfect man. Reading through the biblical books that contain the story of his life you see his enormous courage. He stood against the powers of his day, both religious and political. He singlehandedly cleared the temple. He stared death in the face and did not back down. He endured beatings, and willingly stayed on the cross through unimaginable suffering. Yet he was one of the most sensitive men alive. He was gentle. He touched lepers. He wept over lost people. He took children into his arms to bless them. He ministered to hurting people and spent long hours teaching and healing them. He stayed up all night praying. He died, then broke the grip of death in his resurrection. He lives forever as that part of God who can never forget what it is like to be human.
The humanity of Christ. Jesus Christ was 100% divine, but he was also 100% human. This is a mystery, the reality of which was lived out in the life of one we call Jesus the Christ. The Bible, in talking about Christ, says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). It also says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). The Bible explains how Christ being both God and man fulfilled the purposes of God: “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What kind of unrealistic expectations have you tried to live up to?
2. What did Jesus come to do?
3. What did Jesus accomplish?
4. Read Hebrews 4:14-16. What makes you believe that Jesus understands your problems and temptations? According to these verses how does the work of Christ change how we approach God?
5. What would God seem like if Jesus had never come? What would we have missed?
6. How did the coming of Jesus dignify our humanity?
7. Why was the coming of Jesus Christ to earth important as far as our salvation? Could he have paid for our sins without coming?
8. Read Colossians 1:15 & 2:9. Does it surprise you to think that God would come to earth in human form? Why is this a staggering thought?
9. Read Hebrews 2:14-17. What is the important truth this scripture is telling us? How does it affect you emotionally?
10. Read Philippians 2:6-8. Take time to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for what Christ’s sacrifice has done for you.
As we look to Jesus, we see much more than an example. He is the one who enables us to become like Him because He frees us from the guilt we feel when we see how short of His perfection we have fallen. He is not only the true man. He is the only true Savior. Stay blessed, stay strong and build your family and community for a better tomorrow and a promising future in Christ.
In order to grow as a leader we need to retrain our brain to deal more positively with many different stimuli. To do so requires a combination of knowledge and practice.
The knowledge part is straightforward – there are many books, articles, and seminars that present information on leadership, including the areas of character and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). The practice part is more challenging. Two of the more popular tools for growing in character and EQ both require relationships to help us practice and develop. One tool is a cohort leadership development program in which a small group of leaders work together to help each member identify, understand, and reprogram in the area of character and EQ. The other tool that can work either within a cohort program or as a self-directed process is the intentional change model defined by Richard Boyatzis of Case Western Reserve University.
THE INTENTIONAL CHANGE MODEL
The intentional change model is a process of identifying growth areas and developing ways to build new patterns of thought and behavior. In the book “Primal Leadership” by Goleman, Boyatzis and Mckee, the intentional change model is described as five discoveries:
My ideal self – Who do I want to be?
My real self – Who am I? What are my strengths and gaps?
My learning agenda – How can I build on my strengths while reducing my gaps?
Experimenting with and practicing new behaviors, thoughts, and feelings to the point of mastery.
Developing supportive and trusting relationships that make change possible.
Much of character and Emotional Intelligence lie within us and, as part of our nature, it can be difficult for us to have full awareness. Both the cohort program and the intentional change model rely on relationships with others to help us see the areas for growth and to provide feedback and accountability to reinforce our development as we build new leadership practices.
If you are interested in growing as a leader, GODVERSITY can provide resources and programs that can help you. Contact us for more information.
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