In my last blog I said that we all need to hear the affirmation of the Father: "This is my beloved son/daughter and in him/her I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).
I think every son especially needs to hear the words of this message from God and it helps if his dad verbalizes and demonstrates it! In this affirmation a father (or mentor) is saying to a man: "You are loved AND you are significant!" Generally, men feel loved when their significance is appreciated and respected.
I got this message from my dad in many ways. I'm thankful that as a boy I was blessed by his affection, his participation in my sports and activities, and his words of encouragement to me.
I think that there's a complementary message from God that women long to hear even more than this which I'll share in my next blog.
What do you think? Do men need to be affirmed for their significance? Can a man receive the Heavenly Father's blessing of respect without receiving it from an earthly father figure?
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Hmm..I never thought about it but I think you are right about men seeking to be appreciated and respected. I think its about living a life that means something. Tough to define that but if we believe in Him I think it means we feel the need to something significant in our lives..Have kids, help someone.
ReplyDeleteGood question Dr Bill
ReplyDeleteWe all need affirmation of our significance, though I feel men and women need or rather seek it from different aspects of life.
I think most women have an inate desire to nurture and a sense of responsibility to take the lead role in family or friendship nuturing.
Men I think have an inate sense of responsibility to provide the actual physical suroundings within which the family can grow in a loving way, not constricted by a hard life in the family environment.
As we grow, hopefully we unburdon ourselves from the stereotypical roles we all maybe got caught up in. Then, we thankfully really succeed as we find our true selves and share ourselves as much as possible and share all responsibilities.
"Can a man receive the Heavenly Father's blessing of respect without receiving it from an earthly father figure"? I would say yes as "respect" comes from our actions and thoughts and that does not depend on respect by an earthly father though hopefully that would be offered by every father or father figure in a man's life.
I hope this has made sense to others reading my immediate thoughts.
So glad I found this Blog tonight. I have enjoyed your times speaking on The Gathering, Dr Bill!
Looking forward to reading the future posts and catching up on past posts!
With Love and Shalom
Jan-Michael
April 4, 2009 8:39 PM