The Battle for Man – Part One

by Garret Barbush | President & CEO

If you’re like me, then you struggle to balance and effectively live out the responsibilities God has entrusted to you. Because of this lack of equilibrium, men rarely finish strong. Many of us live our lives in a vicious cycle of highs and lows, only to compromise our integrity at some point and approach the finish line with more regrets than we like to admit.  

We are part of a generation of men who are dismissing relationships with God and whose marriages are ending in divorce. Men are not raising children intentionally, loneliness is giving way to struggles and addictions, poor financial management is breaking families apart, and physical health is becoming last priority. When this lack of balance is evident in men’s lives, then darkness prevails in a world where we are called to be “light.”  

The battle for Christian manhood is real. It consumes every single one of us, and we must choose whose army we will fight for—light or darkness. This battle should come as no surprise. The struggle between light and darkness has been evident from the very beginning of God’s creation.  

Genesis 1:1-4 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” 

Pick a Fight! Spend several minutes reflecting on the responsibilities God has entrusted to you. Think about your faith, family, friends, fitness and finances. Assess these areas of your life and identify where and how you need to go to battle.