be real

Real men wear pink. Real men don't ask for directions. Real men eat steak and potatoes. Real men don't cry.

Yes, those might be some opinions of the world on what a "real" man is. But according to Dr. Blackwood's sermon this morning, at least one of those is wrong. Real men can and sometimes should cry. Dr. Blackwood preached on Genesis 23, which is where Sarah dies and Abraham mourns for her. He pointed out that it is OK to have sorrow at the end of a relationship with someone (in other words, when they die). Sometimes, he said, it is God's will for you to cry. It's one way of relieving your agony. I think I've heard that some hormones are released when you cry that make you feel better.

But just because it's OK to cry sometimes doesn't mean that we should let our emotions run our lives. Over break I've been reading I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. He mentions that in God's eyes, love is not that fuzzy feeling or passionate lust. The world might define love as a feeling, but to God, it is an action. God says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commands." He doesn't say, "If you love Me, you will get warm fuzzies around your heart." I Corinthians 13 talks about more actions love takes. Love is patient and kind. Love doesn't keep track of all the things someone has done against you. Love is also an attitude. Love does not seek its own. Love is hopeful and bears all things. Not some things--all things. Love is unconditional.

"...you will keep My commands..." Part of those commands are to seek God and meditate on His Word. But part of them are also instructions on actions that we need to take.

I still don't know about the wearing pink thing, and I think asking for directions can be quite wise, but what I know for sure is that real men (and women) cry. But then they get up off their knees and go live life the way God told them too.