The 13toMan seminar uses the 4 principles of manhood as stated in Robert Lewis' book Raising A Modern Day Knight. I strongly recommend this book to any father of a son. The fourth, and last part of our definition of a man is - a real man expects the greater reward.
I must admit that my simple mind didn't grasp this one right off. I guess I understood it, but when I taught it to the first 13toMan group I don't think I conveyed it very well. Expecting the greater reward sums up a man living beyond this world. It is the reason you put the shopping cart back where it goes instead of leaving it by your car. It is the reason you help someone that has no way to pay you back. It is the reason we go to the trouble of teaching our kids about God.
Expecting the greater reward is doing what is right when it is easier to do what is wrong. It's giving up what we can get now because we believe there is something higher than ourselves.
As we all know our culture loves to be satisfied now. Ultimately I guess it all comes down to selfishness. As I teach the kids in my Bible study class - the opposite of love is selfishness. A real man exhibits true, selfless love for those around him and expects nothing in return.
Dads, how do you model the expectation of the greater reward for your sons?
1 comment:
I'm not sure I do those things b/c I expect a reward. I do those things b/c I understand, "The entropy of an isolated system not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium." In other words, w/o some energy applied, everything becomes chaotic. That chaos is not necessarily good for me and my family. So, I expend some energy returning the cart, picking up garbage, doing whatever to combat a little chaos in my corner of the world. If other responsible people do likewise, chaos is held at bay; if not, it reigns. This is one of the fundamental principles with which God created the world. This is why I make my kids clean their rooms. Maybe this does lead to some bigger reward, but it is for all of us, not me alone.
Post a Comment