the missing men

So as I sit up and survey the demographics in the body of Christian believers today, there seems to be a noticeable imbalance.

Where are all the men who love Jesus?

Sure there are some. For the most part, however, at church, in campus fellowship groups, church home groups...I see mostly women. It was like this in Argentina too. I'm guesstimating 70% women to 30% men. Maybe it's not that high, and maybe I'm wrong about this "armchair" observation, but if it's true, why would so many men be missing?

I got to thinking about this after reading in 2 Samuel more and more about King David and narratives about his life. I'm not trying to go Wild at Heart in this post, but I think there is something to be said about how the general teaching of truth is conveyed and the picture of Jesus that is disseminated from churches today in modern day America.

Life for Bible believing, Jesus believing men is watered down. I don't think many men, either outside the church or inside it see Jesus as a fierce warrior King.

I think men, more than women (I'm basing this judgement on limited experience of not having been a woman)...men more than women take their behavior cues from men around them. They often try to embody those who are stronger, wiser, more athletic, more talented...etc, more to a degree than women do. I'm not sure why, but I think it's true.

If that's the case, we need to start publishing King David stories and exploits in Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal. King David was a warrior. He fought God's battles, and was regularly involved in some sort of serious conflict (like fleeing from his rogue king son). When he wasn't in some sort of armed conflict, David was worshipping God. Passionately.

The thing that struck me was how David fell into sin. Things that were culturally way off limits. Like murder. Or adultery. David committed these acts, and suffered for his misdeeds, but continued to come back to the glory and mighty holiness of God. I was amazed at the resiliency of David to quickly come back to and want to seek the glory of God. When he realized he had sinned, he owned up to it quickly and didn't try to hide his reputation or put off an image like he had it all together.

I think this is an example worth looking at and trying to embody (minus the murder, coveting, and adultery of course). This would be a starting place.

I think men of this generation should look at King David and his life stories as a man after God's own heart who was passionately in love with Jesus. David's love towards the Lord didn't make him a fairy or any less macho or any less intelligent...he did avoid trying to look cool and collected. King David never would have ended up on the cover of GQ magazine.