The impoverished beggar calls to me in a language vaguely familiar. A language filled with profane and meaningless words, with moaning and crude gestures that get my attention. I understand what he wants but I feel obligated not to oblige him, since it will only compounds his misery despite his earnest yearnings. Sometimes I feel a natural affection to grant his wish however the knowledge of the spiritual forbids me. There is no quenching his thirst, no saving him. I have decided to let him perish and afterwards not miss him nor mourn him. His birth was a curse and his death will restore the balance of life. He is the inner man of sin and I have been sanctified. The old man perishes but the new man is renewed day by day.

I attended a bible study recently and it was good for the most part. Every one left feeling they knew the right things to do. It was evident that everyone understood the lesson however; as we prepared to end in prayer I felt something was undone. I continued to focus in on this feeling I had and it became clear.

It was a men’s bible study and men have a tendency to be so cerebral, intellectual, and logical. We had given the men the “what” but we failed to clarify the process of “how”.  Acknowledging a need to make changes or improvements is only part of the solution. Being aware of a need creates the potential for change but does not ensure that actual change will be accomplished.

Men have known the right thing to do since Genesis yet history proves that this awareness has not created a righteous civilization…