# 237 Real Men Follow Jesus

The Book of Genesis

Day 237

Ge 25:27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.  28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Quite a contrast in the makeup of these twins. Esau, today might be called the “the manly man,” and Jacob, the stay at home “mama’s boy.”

But before we jump on the stereotyping bandwagon, we ought to cast aside all our pre-conceived notions about what kind of men they are, and rather, look at their heart…..that’s what really matters.

It seems that there is a stigma attached to being a male follower of Jesus. Christian men are often looked at as wimps by the world’s standards. ( I know that’s the way I viewed male followers of Christ before Jesus got a hold of me!) 

I think that perception is changing as more and more Christian athletes speak boldly about their faith in Jesus! Remember Reggie White, the “minister of defense,” who terrorized opposing quarterbacks and offensive linemen in the NFL?  Try telling him at the peak of his career that he was a wimp because he followed Jesus.

Remember the Promise Keepers movement founded by the very successful college football coach  Bill McCartney? Those stadium events thundered with the voices of 40,000 plus men singing worship songs to Jesus! And you can be sure that there were many Esau’s and Jacob’s in the mix! 

The proof of course is in the pudding. We may talk about Jesus and our faith till the cows come home, but are we living it? It is in living it, that the real warrior emerges! A warrior who puts on the full armor of God daily in order to do battle with the devil, the world, and his flesh!  The Christian warrior provides the willing “Braveheart” and allows God to fight these spiritual battles through him. A Christian man finds his true identity in Christ and not in the number of trophies on his wall. A Christian man doesn’t measure himself by the number of things he has conquered, but rather is measured to the degree that Christ has conquered him!

It doesn’t matter whether a man is an indoors or outdoors type, what matters is his willingness to take up his cross and follow Jesus!

Jesus said in Mt 10:38,39, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

 39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

It is this man (or woman) who will capture the only trophy that matters….the prize of eternal life, freely given to the man or woman who has been conquered by Christ.