It’s time, boys; it’s time to stand up and become men.  It’s time to become the greatest you can be.  No more acting selfish and disrespecting girls.  No more taking drugs and slacking off on your responsibilities.  There is a time is every boy’s life when he realizes he wants to grow up, to be a man.  And that time needs to be now.  You might ask, what does being a man entail.  Well, to be a R.E.A.L. man you need to live out four traits.  The four are to reject passivity, expect the greater reward, accept responsibility, and finally lead courageously.

Rejecting passivity needs to be the focus of every man, every day of his life.  Our society has taught us to be passive. Society has taught us to do nothing when something bad is happening to others.  A passive person will let an enemy into his heart, mind, and soul.  He will let the enemy steal and destroy his relationships.  He will be eaten by his own selfishness. His life will be wasted standing on the sidelines doing nothing.  Fear will control him.  I call to my fellow brothers.  Do not be a passive man! Do not let fear control you!  Whenever you feel like you need to stand up for something or someone, remember the words of God “Be Strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the lord your God is with you wherever you go” (New Internation Version, Joshua 1.9).

Expecting the greater reward does not mean to expect material items.  The most efficient way to explain how to expect the greater reward is in a parable.  There was a boy at the age of ten who loved riding a beat up old bike.  One day while he was riding the bike he crashed and destroyed it.  It was his favorite bike in the entire world.   Instead of replacing the bike his dad gave him two options.  The first was to buy another beat up old bike that would eventually fall apart.  The second option was to receive his older sister’s bike that was girly and had flowers on it, however his dad told him that if he rode his sister’s bike for four years he would buy the little boy an extremely nice racing bike.  The little boy really wanted to go with option one.  He wanted to go for the short term reward and just get the beat up bike.  He could then ride a bike and everything would go back to normal.  However, after much persuasion, he ended up choosing option two.  On his fourteenth birthday he received a Scott carbon fiber racing bike.  This bike was worth more than the sum of all that he owned. That bike has lasted him twenty years and he has never needed to replace any parts on it.   By him choosing option two he chose to go through trials and tribulations.  He was made fun of at school for having a pink bike.  Mocked and even beaten up.  However in the end he received the greatest gift he has ever received.  This parable is cute and all, but the real reason of the story is to show you how pain and suffering is only temporary.  The little boy only had to suffer for four years until he experienced love from others. We can choose the easy path, only to be destroyed in the end.  Or we can choose the hard path. We can accept the free gift from our Father.  We can be like the boy in the story.  We  can be rewarded with the greatest gift ever, everlasting life with Him.  Unlike the boy in the story, we don’t have to wait to start receiving love.  We can start receiving love right now. And not the petty love of a friend but the love of a Creator.

Accepting responsibility is one the hardest parts of becoming a man.  Our mindset succeeding in life is that you never have to be responsible. You can be lazy all your life and you will be rewarded.  That mindset needs to be demolished. The only way to better yourself in this world is by taking responsibly serious.  Do not shy away from your duty.  Do not blame your girlfriend for your bad relationship. Do not blame others for your failures.  Accept the responsibility of being the leader of your own life.

Leading courageously is the final step in becoming a R.E.A.L. man.  If you are in a relationship that is not working, get out of it.  Be intention in your relationships lead a healthy relationship and your and her will be extremely pleasant with the end result. Be a leader in your school, if someone is being bullied, put an end to it.  Be a leader in your conversations. If someone is gossiping or putting down someone, put an end to it.   Do not conform to the ways of others but transform others into following better paths. Become a leader in your own life by holding yourself to the standards set by Jesus. Being a leader is not the easiest job in the world. Believe me being a leader is hard work but it pays of tenfold in the end. You will receive much more satisfaction and accomplishment if you become who you were meant to be, a leader.

These traits of a R.E.A.L. man are not easy.  However, the rewards are countless.  Every boy wants to become a man one day and the only way to become a R.E.A.L. man is to follow just four guidelines.  You are ready to become a man when you reject passivity, expect the greater reward, accept responsibility, and finally  lead courageously.  Put an end to the boyhood. It’s time to become a R.E.A.L. man.