Am I a Man or a Wimp

Being a wimp is not as hard as one might think.  Most of us men would never dream that we are a wimp. Perhaps we identify with the soldier that got the Purple Heart or Medal of Honor.  Perhaps there is some situation where we stood up for somebody or did something we consider heroic.   Has not some of that told us we are men of honor or courage?   The challenge we face is what is happening in our everyday lives where being a wimp has a great draw.  Let’s quickly take two Bible stories that can help us see what is involved. 

One is told in I Kings 22.  Here we have the evil King Ahab with great desire to re-take a city that used to belong to his country.  He has 400 prophets telling him God is with him and he will be victorious.  No problem!   But visiting King Jehoshaphat from Judah asks King Ahab,  “Is there no other prophet to inquire of as well?”  King Ahab says, “There is one but he never says something that agrees with what I want.”  They talk and finally King Ahab sends for this prophet, Micaiah.   When Micaiah comes he first plays around with King Ahab assuring him he will go and be victorious.  But King Ahab is smart enough to catch a tone in Micaiah’s voice that seems fake.  So he tells Micaiah, “Tell me what you really think.”  Micaiah then tells King Ahab if you go you will never come back.  One of the 400 prophets then slaps Micaiah in the face.  King Ahab sends Micaiah to a prison.  But before he goes out, Micaiah sticks to his guns and repeats, “If you return, King Ahab, then I have not spoken the truth to you.”  King Ahab goes into the battle.  Although he camouflages himself, he is killed by an arrow shot randomly.  It turns out Micaiah told the truth God gave to him to say and 400 other prophets did not.  Were they not wimps in men’s clothing?   (Read the story for yourselves).

What does this story tell us?   It tells us 400 guys were wimps telling the king what he wanted to hear.  One guy, Micaiah, was a true man of God and had the courage to tell the truth.  He stood his ground.

Peter, Jesus’ disciple, was a man in many ways.  He earned his living by fishing.  He boldly followed Jesus, asked questions that took courage, spoke the truth that came to him.  He had real will power.  Before Jesus was arrested, he said he would follow Jesus even unto death.  But Jesus warned him Satan meant to have him and would sift him like wheat.  He would deny Jesus three times before the cock crowed.  So, what happened?   At the courtyard where ‘Jesus was being tried, he denied knowing Jesus three times and this he stated to servant girls. In this instance he was a wimp.

We all are going to be wimps some times in our lives.   We know that.  And it is likely our kids, if we have some, will witness at least one of those times.  We give into something or someone and we do it for some wrong reason—wanting to impress, afraid of something, looking for a favor, lacking courage, not trusting God. 

Jesus showed us how to be a man—courageous, compassionate, serving, leading, authentic, fearless, patient, loving, joyful, in control fending off evil.  But to be that man we need the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  Let us call for the Holy Spirit every morning so when that moment comes to be a man, we can be that man and not a wimp.