Heavy Heart

Heavy Heart

At the time that I write this article my heart is burdened. I am burdened for men who live with no true knowledge of who they are.  Many of the men I minister among, are bikers.  Some are Christians, many are not.  And often in the question of their identity I find that you can’t tell any difference.

  How is identity known and displayed?  Most of us wear a patch to identify who we are and who we are with.  For many men no patch means no identity!  In another arena, men are defined by their work.  The introductory question among men is, “What line of work are you in?”  It helps to settle identity.  One time as a guest speaker, I was introduced by the occupations I had held.  I didn’t think it displayed very accurately who I am.  Nor do I like being identified by the club I ride with.  The reason is not that I am ashamed of that, but it misrepresents me.  The club I ride with and associate myself with is only a tool to facilitate a common purpose.
  Recently the information came to me of another Christian biker who had left his patch to pursue an outlaw club membership!  How do you do that?  Is it like divorcing yourself from Jesus?  One Christian biker I know has rode under three different Christian riding associations in three years.  Each of the last two he joined and bought patches off the Internet.  Be sure that I disapprove of that!  Surely such membership drives know nothing of biker clubs!  But that is another issue. 
 My burden is that men need to find their identity in their relationship with Jesus.  If identity is found by some of these patch holders is in who they hang with, perhaps they need to “hang” with Jesus and be tighter with Him. When a man cannot minister without his patch on, I question his witness.  Does not his life reflect Jesus all the time?  When a man always wears his patch, and it seems like it is never off his back, I question if it is the makeup of his identity. The personal grief for me comes out of my heart’s desire to see men come into their purposes and destiny.  It is not God’s design for us to be lost or seeking and finding identity in what can be taken away from us.  Perhaps because I spend so much time speaking to men’s groups and trying to raise up men that now I am more personally challenged to teach and display to men that identity comes from relationship with Jesus.  He is a person, not a cause.  That our purpose and destiny comes from living for and with Him on a daily basis. And not being a man easily moved or guided by his feelings, I sense in me a wound when I father men who walk away from Jesus and murmur behind my back.  What godless, empty lives.
What a loss to the kingdom.