Ambition is holy, and other short encouragements
Ambition is holy, and other short encouragements
Issue #120
Welcome to Discipleship & Dominion, the new name for Notes on Manhood.
We have renamed to better reflect a focus that extends beyond masculinity, to wise dominion through humble sonship of our Father in heaven. As always, our goal is rightly ordering ourselves and our world, by developing the virtues and skills necessary to this task—especially strength, workmanship, and wisdom. We must have a command of the issues, and then take command over them. We are interested in developing practical wisdom to represent God’s father-rule, and be useful tools in his hands.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
This is the spirit we need today.
Too many men don’t take step 1, because they’re paralyzed over not knowing what to do if they get to step 35.
But can you imagine how Adam's heart swelled as he stood atop the mountain of God, with the temple garden to his back, and looked over the newly minted creation God told him to conquer?
We were made to be ambitious.
We were made to aspire to and accomplish great things for the glory of God.
Yes, great accomplishments are made up of little accomplishments—but little accomplishments are fueled by great aspirations.
Ambition was there in the garden, and it was holy.
Moreover, ambition is communal. Men almost never achieve great things alone.
Only insecure men see a talented up-and-comer as a potential competitor.
Men of vision see him as a potential brother in arms.
Men who get jealous over the success of others are headed for failure.
Spend your strength wisely
Strength and beauty matter in Scripture.
A wife’s beauty is a symbol of her fecundity.
A husband's strength is a symbol of his fecundity.
The external reality of these are fleeting. But when properly invested, both produce spiritual realities. Old women can have inner beauty. Old men can have inner strength.
If you do well, you both will spend your physicality building something bigger than yourself—but the burden will be spread between the two of you.
Not just her. Not just you.
She will give the household strength of her beauty. You will give the household beauty of your strength.
She will sow passing physical beauty into the household—but she will reap spiritual beauty that lasts forever.
You will sow passing physical strength into the household—but you will reap spiritual strength which never fades.
We start as grapes and we end as raisins. Beauty fades, and so does strength. Youth turns to old age. And old age ends in death.
Spend your strength wisely.
Fathers, nurse your children
Calvin comments scathingly on mothers who deem it a hardship to breastfeed, and fob it off on wet-nurses:
Today, of course, we fob it off on bottles instead. Thanks science.
(No, we are not talking about women with legitimate medical reasons.)
But fathers can be guilty of not nurturing their children too.
Sure, they don’t feed them from their own bodies. But they do feed them with their presence.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord. (Eph 6:4)
The Christmas gift that every child truly wants is a godly, healthy, and present you.
Listen to them. Laugh with them. Wrestle with them. Tickle them. Teach them scripture. Challenge them to a race. Play with them. Pray over them.
Be there. Be active.
Lead the way.
Inculturate them into a household that serves God.
Ideas of value always shun verbosity, being foreign to confusion and fantasy. Timely silence, then, is precious, for it is nothing less than the mother of the wisest thoughts. —Diadochos of Photiki
Notable:
Michael and Dale Partridge start Pastor Story Hour
Not long back, Michael asked why it’s just drag queens having story hours at public libraries. So he booked a room and created an event, and now there is a Pastor Story Hour in Cincinnati.
Dale Partridge, author of The Manliness of Christ, has set one up in Arizona as well.
Reported in:
Washington Times: Church leaders counter drag queen events for children with ‘Pastors Story Hour’ at libraries
If you’re a pastor, you could probably organize a similar event at your local library. Or even if you’re not a pastor. If a drag queen can read a book, so can you.
Joe Rigney expanding on some of our work
The biggest success of the It’s Good to Be a Man project is just how ubiquitous our concepts and phrases have become in Reformed circles. Even better, we’ve seen many other people develop and flesh them out in new and helpful ways. It’s satisfying. Here’s a good example:
How a Head Loves a Body: Watching Husbands and Wives Dance Well
Around the interwebs
Relevant to our comments about boomers last week:
Aaron Renn brings some spice:
Rotten Tomatoes is not even pretending its audience score is real any more:
Apparently Wokeanda Forever is a classic on the level of…
Talk again next week,
Bnonn & Michael