He told me himself. Okay so not really but might as well have. And before you think this is some atheistic fedora tipping post let me assure you that it’s not. Nor is it some “grrr I’m a tough viking who only relies on his own iron will and has no need of a weakling higher power” nope it’s nothing that stupid either. Rather its something that’s nuanced, important, and if you do believe in God a must read.
Let me also state a couple other things. I do believe in God I’ve lived too long of a life and spent too much time in nature to think otherwise. I know there’s something there and something beyond all of this. Second I don’t just think that there is a God but that he is active in this world and that there is a “fight” that is taking place in a cosmic sense but that filters down to every level. Again I’ve lived too long of a life and seen far far far too much to ever think otherwise.
So with all of that being said you’re probably now wondering what on earth I mean by God isn’t going to save you. Is this some “man up” and get tough message? No, though those things are important especially for males raised in the modern world. But again that is not what this is about. I should also note that I’ll be using the Bible for my analogies here but if you search through whatever your personal religious stories are there’s a very good chance that you’ll find the exact same pattern.
So let’s get started.
God Doesn’t Work
In this world…at least in the way religious (or even non-religious) people think that he does. There are a couple of different ways most people see God working and they’re all wrong. The first is common with religious people and that is where they sit back and cry and God swoops in and carries them through their problems. This is a very feminine view of God as sort of a romance hero type but it’s how many males see him now too. And when you look back through the stories of the Bible (or other religious texts) that is just not how God works.
God doesn’t rush in on a white steed and take you up in his big strong arms. Nope, he’ll let you die, suffer, and be destroyed. At least in a way. Another way that people think God works is through divine intervention. That God swoops in with some deus ex machina and that’s how it works. Now I’m not saying that there is no such thing as “divine intervention” (depending on one’s interpretation) but that’s not the way that God commonly works either.
No, and if you’re waiting for God to work in such a way then you’re going to eventually go crazy or lose your faith because nothing is going to happen. That’s just not the way that God works. That’s not how he is. I think it’s safe to say that God is first and foremost a spiritual being and presence before and above anything and everything else, yet most people are looking for physical manifestations when that’s foolish and keeps people blind in most cases.
How God Actually Works
At some place in the Bible there is a passage that says to an extent that people are God’s hands and feet. Meaning that they are his “tendrils” into the physical “real” world. Unfortunately this is misinterpreted and meaning people’s only goal is to spread that religion when this actually has far deeper and wide spread meaning. This means that for any good to be done in this world God must work through people willing to be worked through.
It’s sort of like that old commercial (I think it was for the Marines) where it says “Many are called, few answer.” because this path is not an easy one. Look at the stories of the Bible. Could God not have just led the people out of Egypt himself? Could he not have simply swooped down and slain Goliath? Could he not have just ripped Jesus off the cross? Yeah of course he could have done all of those things but it should be very very obvious that that is just not how he works.
He’s there and he’ll be with you and working through you and will “clear a path” for you (doesn’t mean the path will be easy though) but it’s all still reliant on you taking action. Without action of man, God is…”useless” as far as we normally think about it. God works through man, man is his hands and feet. And if no man/men are willing to fight for him then the world goes to the dragon/dragons (or whatever your symbol is).
What This Means For Men
Some men don’t care and are fine watching the world burn. I was once this way for a very long time but something changed. I didn’t become “religious” and I’m not in a religion but rather I just kept looking at things and saw patterns. But more importantly what does this mean for you? Well if you don’t care about any of this stuff then really it doesn’t mean much of anything. Keep living your life and doing your thing, each man has his own life to live and nothing is wrong with this.
But what if this stuff does weigh on you and is something that hits you on a gut level? Well then understand that while God may put convictions in your heart (and we know how important those are) and “give” you a path (that you very well probably won’t see) that you’re the one who has to move forward and take actual action in the world. The ball is in your court so to speak.
God needs warriors for his kingdom (religious people have unfortunately neutered the meaning of these words). It’s through warriors that a kingdom is maintained, ground is gained, and there is peace in the world. When you look out at the ugly state of things understand that God is willing and waiting for those to take the fight to the dragons but few are answering the call (in actuality, not just spreading a religion like most religions say that this is, it’s something far far far more important and powerful).
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
