I am a worrier. I can get so deep inside of my head worrying about anything and everything.
Lately, I have been consumed with the reality that my children are growing up and I can’t stop it. You see, they are young, and this harsh, broken world hasn’t beat on them that hard yet. I know that some boy is going to break my daughter’s heart, and my son will find out that his dad is not the strongest man on earth. I am terrified.
These sorts of emotions can be overwhelming, and at times, can cause us as men to become so fearful of life that we freeze. Instead of leading, we do nothing. Men who do nothing, many times, are in more danger than men who try and fail.
I want to lead. I don’t want be frozen from fear.
I want to be there, strong and steadfast, when that boy breaks my daughter’s heart. How? How do I break this cycle of fear?
Every once in a while, God will give me moments of clarity. From time to time, I will read verses in the Bible, like Psalm 8:1, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the earth,” and I get it.
God, in his loving kindness, gives His children comfort by revealing His majesty and glory.
In these moments, I can stand with David as he wrote in Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
In my life, there are three primary situations where God gives me this clarity:
1. Great family moments. These great family moments revolve around us doing some sort of activity together. A random trip up into the mountains, going to the public swimming pool, or treating the family to dinner out instead of staying in. I have to be intentional during these times. I must turn off the phone and immerse myself into my wife and kids’ lives.
2. Great brotherly moments. These great brotherly moments come when I get some time with men that I love and I know love me. Sometimes we pray for each other and have a deep conversation, and other times it looks like watching a football game together and the only real conversation is trash talk.
3. Great contemplative moments. For me, this looks like sitting in my favorite coffee shop in Boulder, by the front window, as I read my Bible and watch the people of my city walk by.
These are sustaining times. God gives me these nuggets of grace and I am thankful because without them, the fears that I have would be crushing and I don’t think I could make it.
These times do not come easily and they can go as quickly as they come. An email, a text, a wandering eye, or thoughts about what we need to do at work can steal these moments from us. We must fight for these experiences. It will take planning and intentionality on our part.
So my question for you is this: What moments does God give you to show you His majesty and glory, and are you being intentional about entering into them?
Matt Patrick is the lead pastor of The Well Church in Boulder, Colo. Before planting The Well Church, Matt helped replant a mountain town church.
For the original article, visit authenticmanhood.com.
Joseph Mattera 
BJ Foster 
Shelby Bowen 
