Men

Glenn Wagner - A Man After God's Own Heart
This material appears courtesy of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN)

Christian men around the globe are again turning back to true intimacy with their Creator and are desiring godliness with renewed fervor. Dr. E. Glenn Wagner, pastor, author, and Promise Keeper's Minister-at-Large, explains why it is so hard for men to walk in an intimate relationship with God and what men can do about it.

"Most men tend to approach things as a hill to be conquered, a task on a list, something that's supposed to get over. They put everything down on a list that they think they need to do to be a more godly man, better husband, and think that if they just fulfill the task, everything will be okay," says Wagner. But often attempts are unsuccessful, because men tend to divorce their goals from a relational context, adds Wagner.

That is precisely why he has written a book, The Heart of a Godly Man (1997, Moody Press), to instruct men on how to be intimate with God.

The problem isn't getting men to make the right decisions to be a better father or a better husband, suggests Wagner, the problem is the follow through. Often men end up making their wives feel like projects by trying to solve their problems instead of listening. "So, it's not that men do the wrong things, but it is the mindset in which they do them," he says.

The key to helping men grow in a relationship with Christ is to first help men identify the personal benefits. Men will seek a quality relationship with the Lord once they understand that Jesus promises each of them an abundant life, which offers stability in the home and increased satisfaction at work, says Wagner.

But truly knowing the Creator means more than an intellectual understanding. When the Apostle Paul spoke about his desire to know Christ, he was referring to an experiential rather than an intellectual knowledge, the kind that comes from a relationship. And this can mean revealing feelings and emotions, not just thoughts, to the Creator. Many men struggle with this depth, but Wagner warns if a man does not grasp how to relate to his Heavenly Father in this manner, a man will likely experience difficulty in his earthly relationships as well.

It is important for a man to practice spiritual disciplines to get to know God better. Wagner recommends first starting with the Bible -- reading, meditating, and memorizing. It is key that this time of reflection is not merely an exercise to be checked off when completed. Neither should one be legalistic about how much is being read. The main point is to listen to what God might be saying through the Scriptures without having some personal agenda or need for an immediate solution to a personal problem.

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