MEN. Little men, big men. I love these little men. These sweet boys belong to my dear friends Denise and Brooks Boynton. I know this family values strength and agility, and the growing “manliness” pictured here. Brooks is a coach and pushes young men all day to be strong, fierce, and to have courage. I know it’s important to these sweet boys to please their dad, to make a show of authentic strength, and to be successful at looking like they are doing it all right. 

I also know these boys for the mischievous, adorable rascals that they are. This shoot was so much fun! But like all family shoots restlessness wins out at some point. At that point it became clear and each boy was REALLY excited about the idea of an ‘action shot’ for their moment in the photographic sun. Who wouldn’t want a photo record of the greatest feat of strength or height! 

But I know the heart of this family. It’s for all of that strength to come from the strongest one, Jesus. 

Our world pushes manhood to the limits: DON’T CRY, BE TOUGH, HANDLE EVERYTHING AND BE COMPLETELY ATTENTIVE TO YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN AND JOB AND BE PERFECT AND DON’T LOSE YOUR TEMPER, AND BE PURE OF HEART, AND BE PATIENT AND, AND, AND…..

Our husbands, our leading men, our pastors, and our friends get pushed to a limit and are buried under the weight of such holy expectations. I tell my husband all the time that he has it harder than I do. Am I a Godly enough person to be able to “love my wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her?” 

That is a two-fold command. 1.) To daily and graciously love a spouse as deeply, warmly, correctively, and fiercely as Jesus the savior  loves the church, his people. HOW? that is a holy power: to love so hard you don’t give up? to love so much you never quit? FOR ETERNITY?  That kind of love sounds great on a Valentine’s Day card, but let’s get real. This isn’t that simple.  2.) To give his life for her? Whoa. Now we are going WAY beyond “be a good man and provide for your family.” This kind of manhood is LIFE OR DEATH. I will stick with submission. It's hard, but not that kind of be-Jesus-to-your-bride kind of hard. But there is hope for our men:

Matthew 7:24-25 says:

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Let’s also take this in context. Back up a few verses. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I think it is safe to say that what we define as life-saving and eternity-securing are not the measuring stick by which we know Christ unto salvation. Doing the will of the father isn’t about a man’s checklist. It’s about faith, choosing His way, loving His way. It’s not about achieving. It’s about believing. This is never truer than for the men we know, the men we revere, and the men we love. 

Oh, little men, there is only hope in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can grow you into true manhood. He is the only one who can save you from the need to be all the great things you think you’re supposed to be. You are so much more loved than you know, made by a God who already decided who you are, and will establish you.