The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.

Exodus 15:3

ManHeart Process

Developing a heart for becoming a man of God is a process.  In some ways it is a linear process where you move from A to B to C.  At the same time it is a process that helps you grow into a man of God in several areas at the same time. It is a process that takes a lifetime to unfold.  Today one area of the process may need some work, tomorrow it could be another area.  As men, we must continually work on the process

The best place to begin is the end.  Beginning with the end in mind is like the destination of a trip.  While it's exciting and adventuresome to just get in the car or board a plane and let it take us wherever it leads, it's not very practical.  When we plan a trip, most of us start with the destination; where is it we want to go?  Then, if you're like Mike, you break out the map and look for the most direct route to get there. 

Working through the ManHeart process is much the same.  We begin with the end in sight.  It provides a picture to see, a goal to work towards, and a target for us to shoot at.

In the end we believe God desires men to become fighters. . .warriors.  Exodus 15:3 says "The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name."  It's the part of Himself that he put in the DNA of every man.  So what are we to fight for?  There are three particular relationships every man desiring to become a man of God should fight for:

1. The heart of his King - Jesus Christ
2. The heart of the woman God has placed in his life
3. The hearts of a small group of men (3-4 max)

Being that many men are visual and the context we find ourselves is that of a warrior we use a shield with crest on it.  In ancient days the shield would identify whose army you belonged to and under whose banner you were fighting.  It's much like the logos of our sports teams today.  It tells everyone who you're playing for.

The Shield represents five inter-related areas of a man's spiritual life that help him grow towards being a fighter for his King, his Eve, and his comrades in arms.  The five areas are:

1. The Shield of Faith

2. The Cross of Fellowship

3. The Fire of Passion

4. A Crown to Follow

5. The Sword of Fighting

SHIELD OF FAITH

Becoming the man God designed and desires begins with FAITH in God and who He says He is.  The ultimate question every man must ask and answer for himself is, Is he God or isn't He?  We also must consider whether we believe God wants and knows the best for us.  To say yes to these questions often times requires much faith.

Additionally, we must realize that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).  Without faith it is impossible to become the man God designed or desires you to be.  It is only when you believe that God is who He says He is, that you will begin the process of becoming the man God designed and desires you to be.

You must also learn to trust the woman God had placed in your life as well as the hearts of three or four godly men.

(back to the top)

CROSS OF FELLOWSHIP

Next, is FELLOWSHIP.  To become the man God designed and desires you to be you must be in fellowship with him.  To be in fellowship with Him you must have a relationship with Him.  You establish that relationship by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (John 14:6; John 3:16; Rom 10:9-10).  Then you begin building that relationship.  Like any relationship it takes time, but it happens when we spend time with God - reading and applying His Word, sharing your heart with Him, and allowing Him to share His heart with you.

What about your wife or girlfriend?  Are you doing the things that create fellowship in your relationship with her?  Are you making time for her - hanging out and talking.  Are you making sure she knows you don't take her for granted?

And those guys in your life?  Are you spending time them living life honestly with them?  Do you just meet for study or fellowship or prayer at the expense of the other areas?  God doesn't intend for you to go at this alone.

(back to the top)

FIRE OF PASSION

God desires us to have an unquenchable FIRE for Him and the things of God.  He expects us to stand up for Him and His ways even if no one stand with us.  1 Thessalonians 5:19 reminds us "Do not put out the Spirit's fire;" (NIV).  In case that didn't quite hit you yet, Paul was saying not to quench or repress God's presence in your life.

Developing a passion for God takes time, but is a valuable part of the process.  Until we have a fiery passion for God and His desires we will never learn to fight for Him.

The woman God has placed in your life deserves your passion as well.  Jesus told His bride, the church, that He would never leave her or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5).  He says that He would never be distracted by anything or anyone else.  She will be His focus.  Yet, as men, what do we forsake our wives for?  Work?  Hobbies?  Church?  Friends?  Children?  Football on Saturdays and/or Sundays?  Pornography?  Adulterous affairs?  The internet?  Our wives deserve our undistracted attention and passion.

Our comrade in arms deserves our attention as well.   Two of the greatest Kings in the Bible, David and Jesus - had buddies they lived life with, yet neither one turned from those men or allowed something to come between them.  You got buds?  Do you have a passion for their hearts, their families, their walk with God?

(back to the top)

CROWN TO FOLLOW

One of the most difficult things for guys to do is to FOLLOW.  Yet to become a good leader you have to learn to become a good follower.  This includes our relationship with God.  Romans 10:9 entreats us to do just that - "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (NIV).  In case you missed it, that word LORD can be translated boss.  And when the boss says to do something, we do it.  Right?

When we decide to FOLLOW God it means that we place everything we have influence over under His authority.  While He is King, He doesn't demand it.  It's our choice.  But if we are to learn to fight for His heart then we must learn to follow Him as King.

You want your wife to want to follow you as leader of your family?  Then follow God.  You can't be over until you learn to be under.  In other words, as a husband you can't be over your wife if you don't first learn to be under God's authority.  Jesus did it and became the King of Kings (Philippians 2:5-11). One of the most rewarding thing a wife can say is that she wants to follow you.  She will want to follow you when you become a follower of the King.

Guys want to follow a friend, especially a friend who has respect for them as a leader and a man of God.  Express your willingness to follow them and they will follow you when you lead.

(back to the top)

SWORD OF FIGHTING

Men, we are constantly at war.  It's not a physical war, but a spiritual one (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:12).  We cannot escape it.  So what do we do about it?  We FIGHT.  Because if we don't fight, we will loose the battle.  But remember that we are conquerors. . .victors. . .over comers (1 John 5:4-5).  We are on the WINNING SIDE! 

But you have to pick up the sword.  God's Word tells us that the sword we are to use is the Word of God! (Ephesians 6:13-18).  It was how Jesus fought off Satan when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).  And I would think that if it works for Jesus, then we need to strap on that sword and learn to use it.

Do you fight for your wife?  She needs someone to fight for her - for her character, her honor, her heart, and if you're single for her purity. Let this serve as a reminder, if you don't fight for her, then guess where she's going when she finds someone who will?  You already know the answer don't you?

Do you fight for the hearts of a few good men in your life?  David and Eleazar did.  They had each other's back when it came down to standing against the Philistines.  In fact Eleazar fought until his had froze to his sword.  He would not let his King down.  And there's not a possibility one of Israel's greatest warriors, King David, would let his friend down (2 Samuel 23:9-10).

That's what friends do - they fight for each other. . .even when they can't fight for themselves.  Believe it or not, sometimes we are just too beat down to fight back and we just need another warrior to get our back. 

To find out more about the ManHeart Process or how the men of your church or organization can begin applying this process to their lives contact Mike Shipp.

(back to the top)