Remember, every Warrior requires two things greater than himself to keep him on the path of becoming himself:
He needs a cause worth living and dying for, and
He needs a king to love and a king who loves him back—one who loves first and loves the most, and to whom the man can turn for counsel, guidance, and training.
Great kings lead by example, inspiring and imparting to their men power and authority when their men are ready to wield it. The foundation of the relationship between a king and his men is trust, love, admiration and respect.
When a man has these two interlocking requirements; a cause and a king, he is ready to be turned loose, deployed back into the Story. He is ready to be dangerous for good.
The King of we “small-k” kings heals, settles, and trains Beloved Sons. And in the same way a mission finds us, the King and the cause find the man. They come provoking, inviting, intriguing, and even disrupting a man. They come with answers to a man’s questions:
Do you see me?
Am I worthy?
Am I strong?
Can I come through?
The Father’s answers are yes, yes, yes and YES.
A man longs to hear these answers, and when he does, his heart is both settled and inspired. The relief this can bring is tremendous. Since every man has a unique and personal path to hearing the Father’s answers, the eventual answer “yes” may be the same but it will be delivered at tailored times for each man. This relieves us from being in charge of one another (you’re not the boss of me, nor I you). What we can do for our brothers (and sisters) is lovingly point one another to the King, encourage one another with his cause, and walk as friends on the journey.
Friendship bears a great fruit: accountability. Without friendship, accountability becomes just a chore or a job. Few men receive Life from a chore, but from a friend—that is a different story.
Many “accountability” arrangements fail for lack of real friendship; there’s no time invested or trust earned in one another’s life. The result is just two men policing each other. And who wants to be policed?
The Warrior doesn’t go to others to have his heart policed or the questions of his deep masculine heart answered. The weighty answers come from his Father, his King, and by the Spirit that dwells strong within him.
This is an enormous and fundamental shift for a man, changing to whom he goes with questions about his worth and ability.
As long as a man seeks validating answers from others (a woman, his kids, or other men), a man is vulnerable to the enemy (Satan) using anyone, but if his source for validation and affirmation is God, then the answers he receives are final, transformational, and settling for the man’s heart.
A settled heart is a declaration that a man is ready to re-enter the Story. His Warrior Heart will then be tried and strengthened through battle. We see this principle at work all through the chapters in the book of Acts. The disciples are settled, trained, and initiated. Then they are deployed, stepping into the fray to ensure that the freedom campaign, the cause of their King, advances.
It doesn’t take long before the first casualty is recorded, a beautiful heart named Stephen. He knows the truth, tells the truth, and just like his King, those who hate the truth kill him.
But the truth can’t be killed.
Where there is persecution, hearts are convicted of the truth. When truth convicts hearts, change occurs. And when change occurs, persecution comes.
The friends of Jesus experienced who he truly was and were changed. Equipped with their convictions, they were then deployed into the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8) with their King’s promise, power and presence, telling them “I am with you always.”
The effect of it all reminds me of a quote I recently heard, “Be the kind of man that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says, ‘Oh crap, he’s up.’”
In your Time alone with God, ask Him:
Jesus, do I know that the answers to the questions “Do you see me? Am I worthy? Am I strong? Can I come through?” are all a resounding “YES”? Why or why not?
PRAY: Holy Spirit, I KNOW You will give me the strength to fight the battle well and to be dangerous for good in my day-to-day life. Show me where I still need to allow You to work in my heart, how to fight for the hearts of others (when I’m ready), and the courage to fight from a settled heart. Amen!
