What is a JourneyMan?

Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan
...More on Commitment #1
...More on Commitment #2
...More on Commitment #3
...More on Commitment #4
...More on Commitment #5
...More on Commitment #7

Hot Rods & JourneyMen
JourneyMen Are the Workers of Matt. 9:37-38
JourneyMen Require Margin
Look Also to the Interests of Others

JourneyMen:

On the right hand side, you see short notes and quotes. Below that is a table of contents ("Blog Archive") showing postings by month. Click on the triangles to see details, and click on any title to be taken right to it.

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Have a great seven days!

What is a JourneyMan?

..and what does he aspire to?

A JourneyMan is a man of God whose allegiance is to Christ. His mission is the Great Commission; his mandate, the Great Commandment. His guide is the Word of God.

Living one life in Christ, a JourneyMan is not content with compartmental living. He rejects the false ideas that his work is somehow "secular", while his religious life is "sacred". He views his entire life, everywhere he lives it, as a sacred calling.

A JourneyMan is not only appointed by God to his vocations; he is called to take possession of the land and to build Godly influence with those he serves and leads.

Embracing his calling, a JourneyMan is committed to purposeful living. He is not content to hold ground and has no interest in treading water. In his commitment to the Great Commission, he seeks forward progress more than ease and comfort. He is able to articulate his God-given life purpose, and in all his endeavors, a JourneyMan is committed to excellence.

Yet, a JourneyMan respects his own physical, spiritual and emotional limits. A man of balance, he knows how to say "yes", and "no", and he means what he says. A JourneyMan is watchful lest he become overloaded with activity, commitments, debt, expectations, information or possessions. He’s certainly not lazy, yet he firmly resists the trap of the workaholic.

A JourneyMan has no interest in living in isolation from other men of God, but prefers brotherhood. He is committed to his fellow JourneyMen, challenging and being challenged, encouraging and being encouraged, equipping and being equipped. As iron sharpens iron, so one JourneyMan sharpens another.

Expecting victory rather than defeat, a JourneyMan does not easily surrender himself to unprofitable or destructive habits. He is neither a victim nor a people pleaser, but a subject of the Great King of Kings; thus, a JourneyMan does not rely on worldly entitlements, but on God to meet his needs by whatever means God chooses.

A JourneyMan extends grace where he can, shows mercy if possible, and does battle when necessary. Embracing the Great Commandment, he looks for the best in others, and he does what he can to help. He loves, serves and leads his family. He is not afraid of His role as a spiritual leader, nor is he afraid to seek input and influence from those he serves and leads. He is generous with his time, talents and resources.

When setbacks or difficulties arise, a JourneyMan does not give up, and he does not run. Instead, relying on God for direction, strength, and favor, he takes the next indicated step on his journey. He is not slow to ask his fellow JourneyMen for assistance, nor in confessing his shortcomings.

A JourneyMan is swift to assist and encourage a brother in Christ, and he is quick to forgive.

A JourneyMan is called, equipped and appointed to make a difference for Christ, seven days a week, in the community and culture in which he lives and works. This is the awesome responsibility and the great privilege of a JourneyMan.

Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

1. Devotion to Prayer, Worship and the Word of God; read more about Commitment #1

2. A Great Commitment to The Great Commission and The Great Commandments; read more about Commitment #2

3. Intentional Living and Holy Spirit Empowerment, seven days a week; read more about Commitment #3

4. Challenging, encouraging, equipping and serving our families and brothers in Christ; read more about Commitment #4

5. Godly values, character and integrity at work, home, church, and in the community;
read more about Commitment #5

6. Building Godly influence with others, wherever we are called; and

7. Impacting the marketplace for Christ through deliberate servant leadership. read more about Commitment #7

Commitment # 1 - Devotion to Prayer, Worship and the Word of God

A JourneyMan knows these are not only essential to his authentic Christianity, but are very much in his own best interest.

We might think of a man's life as an arrow. Prayer, worship and the Word of God form the feathers, without which the arrow will certainly go somewhere, but not likely to its target.

A JourneyMan finds himself and his God in and through the scriptures. Preachers and expositors of various kinds are certainly helpful, but the value of their assistance depends on their adherence to the Word of God. The man who is in the Word, and who knows the Word, will not be easily deceived.

A man grounded in the Word finds prayer as necessary as breathing. A JourneyMan honors the example of the Son of God, who prayed earnestly and often. He expresses his gratitude to God, and he asks on behalf of himself and others for guidance, victory, strength, healing, protection, wisdom, and much more. Not only does he ask, but he learns to listen.

A JourneyMan learns to reject the false notion of "prayer by exception". This is the idea that prayer is necessary only when there is some kind of emergency, or when a course correction is required. On the contrary, a JourneyMan strives to develop a consistent attitude of prayer.

Just as he knows prayer need not be confined to five minutes on his knees, a JourneyMan understands worship to be far more than singing and praising God on Sunday morning. He sees worship as both constant and universal, for everyone worships a good deal of the time, whatever they might believe otherwise.

How can we say this?

Our word "worship" comes from the old English worth-ship, "to ascribe great worth or value to a person or thing." Thus worship is something everyone does, Christian or not, whether they know it or not. The real question is: are we worshipping "in spirit and in truth", or are we engaging in false worship? A JourneyMan learns to interrupt himself with the question, Who am I worshipping right now?

One may worship by ascribing great value to celebrities, athletes, scientists, preachers, bosses, politicians or others. He may move about from place to place and from day to day "worshipping" any number of people or things. He might even engage in self-worship by ascribing to himself a kind of power, importance, entitlement or control he could never authentically possess. A man might not equate any of these practices or attitudes with acts of worship, but he may deceive himself.

Some have acquired the habit of worshipping watered down, pathetic versions of the True God. These false gods might resemble good luck charms, genies from a lamp, or personal assistants. They are easily summoned, and just as easily dismissed. JourneyMen learn to recognize and reject these pseudo-gods in favor of a real relationship with the True God.

Here is the simple reality of the matter. The more we worship God, the more we ask and listen in prayer, and the more we are grounded in God's Word, the greater His presence and power in our lives.

See All Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Commitment # 2 - The Great Commitment

Jesus said, "…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20). We refer to this as the Great Commission. Jesus also said, "…you will …be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8).

Many professing Christians have opted to hire out the Great Commission, expecting professional ministers and missionaries to do most of the work.

An alternative view is that we are each personally called to Great Commission living. This gives meaning to such terms as "lifestyle evangelism" and "evangelical Christian". It holds that we are to carry out the Great Commission in and through our everyday lives, whatever our various assignments and callings might be.

In making the personal decision of whether to hire out or carry out the Great Commission, we would do well to make two basic observations.

First, Jesus said the greatest and most important commandments are to love God with everything in us, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mark 12:29). These Great Commandments compel us to action, and to carrying out, rather than hiring out, the Great Commission.

Second, we are hard pressed to find any Biblical examples of someone subcontracting their Great Commission responsibilities. Jesus did not say, "You will pay someone else to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." He did not say, "Go do something else, and be grateful the television evangelists are getting it done…" No such loopholes were present in our Lord's Great Commission instructions.

Yes, we support the work of missionaries and ministers, but the Great Commitment of a JourneyMan hardly ends there. Every JourneyMan is called to love, serve and influence others, sharing his faith and hope in Christ. In this way, a JourneyMan carries out his Great Commitment at home, at work and in his community - making a difference, seven days a week.

See all Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Commitment # 3 - Intentionality & the Holy Spirit

Living "intentionally" means living on purpose, not just "putting it out there" and hoping it all comes together some day in the great somewhere. Living and working intentionally is only possible with an objective purpose clearly in mind.

In order to live intentionally, a JourneyMan understands the need to embrace his own God-given purpose. He knows that vague living will not move him towards the sort of intentionality that makes a real difference, seven days a week. As he understands and embraces his God-given calling, a man can transform ordinary life into purposeful, intentional, Great Commission living.

Those who have undertaken the "on purpose" lifestyle find it immensely satisfying. They also discover that their own personal strength will take them only so far. Intentional living based on personal calling places a man in direct day-by-day partnership with the God who assigns, calls and equips him.

What could be better than living "on purpose", intentionally working out our personal calling each day, and depending on the Holy Spirit every step of the way? This approach will produce results, " 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty". (Zechariah 4:6)

Notice the balance between intentionality and reliance upon the Holy Spirit as exhibited by the shepherd boy David, who was assigned, called and equipped by God:

"David said to Saul, 'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.' Saul replied, 'You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.' But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' " …(then, after a very brief fight)… "David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. …" (I Samuel 17: 32-37 & 51)

See All Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Commitment # 4 - Challenging, Encouraging, Equipping and Serving our Families and Brothers in Christ

We JourneyMen take our vocations seriously. We understand that God Himself assigns, calls and equips us, and we know that all of our vocations are sacred pursuits.

Of all our vocations, none is more sacred than family vocations. We are called into families as husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and so on.

The Bible has plenty to say about this. For example, we are instructed in the strongest terms to provide for our families. We are also admonished to love our wives as Christ loved the church, to honor our mother and father, and to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. God intends for us to place high priority on our family roles and relationships.

Have we considered the fact that all of these instructions concerning the family can be applied to our church family?

The apostle John wrote: "… to all who received Him, to those who believed on His name, he gave the right to become children of God - children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13)."

When Jesus said "I will build my church," He announced the establishment of our extended family!

Our family vocations and responsibilities do not stop on our own front porch. When we were "born again", we are adopted into a literal family, with God as our father and other believers as our brothers and sisters. We are called to be family men, not only at home, but also in the church.

God made us brothers, and as JourneyMen we stand together, side by side and back-to-back.

(Ref. I Tim. 5:8, Eph. 5:25-33, Eph. 6:2-4, Col. 3:18-25, Prov. 22:17, Matt. 20:25-26, Mark 10:43-45, John 1;12-13)

See All Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Commitment #5 - Godly Values, Character & Integrity

A dilemma may be defined as any difficult or perplexing situation or problem. It might also be described as a difficult choice between two alternatives.

JourneyMen face a dilemma.

On the one hand, we live and work in a competitive, “me first” culture in which it is considered normal to do whatever is best for oneself. It is customary to view truth and goodness as useful only if they advance our personal cause, viewing others as stepping stones to our own personal gain or success. One more for me, one less for you. These attitudes prevail in our social and work environments, and they characterize our culture.

On the other hand, we claim allegiance to a Savior and Lord who instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves, forgive others and treat them as we would be treated, love our enemies and pray even for those who persecute us, and serve those whom we would lead.

The two sets of standards – those of the popular culture and those of Christ – could not be more opposed. Not only that, each has its serious disadvantages. The marketplace takes a terrible social, psychological and physical toll on its constituents, who live under enormous pressure and stress, almost a continuous “fight or flight” scenario.

Christ’s way has its own disadvantages. That is why Jesus Himself taught us to count the cost. It is also why most do not gladly and wholeheartedly choose to follow Christ in life and in the workplace. It is, after all, costly. People will ridicule us. They will laugh. We will be passed over. Friends may forsake us. The guy who wants our job or promotion will get it, if we don’t bust his chops.

So we face a dilemma.

Most men drift along in life, making smaller and larger ethical choices as they go. Some might verbally endorse the Christ centered way of life, especially on Sundays if they are the churchgoing sort. But in work and in life the rest of the week, successive choices are made day by day, week in and week out, until they accumulate to reveal one’s true allegiance. In other words, actions and attitudes add up over a span of time to reveal our true allegiance to God, or to someone else.

JourneyMen understand there is another way. That way is to choose first and decide ahead of time, counting the cost and moving forward as purposeful men of Christ. In this way, our original choice will guide our actions all the time, as we ask God daily and hourly for the knowledge of His will and the power to carry it out.

Joshua said it this way: “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” Notice that Joshua did not say, just move forward, men, and pick your way through the details of life and work, deciding as you go whom to serve and how to live. No, he calls us to choose first whom we will serve.

Of course, once we have made our choice to serve God, or to serve ourselves and the expectations of others, our behavior will increasingly reflect the values, character, and integrity of whomever we have chosen to serve. If we choose to serve the culture around us according to its rules and practices, then we will look and act accordingly.

If, however, we choose to serve the Lord, then the values, character and integrity we live out day by day will increasingly resemble His. In fact, they will be His, because He will be working through us.

We simply cannot obey Christ in the workplace or anywhere else without first weighing the options, counting the cost, and making a definite choice up front. Any attempt to do less will ensure “play as you go” mediocrity, inconsistency, lack of influence for the Kingdom of God, and damage to the cause of Christ.

JourneyMen understand that it is foolish to claim allegiance to Christ without first making the choice that sets our course in obedience to Him.

See All Seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Commitment #7 - Impact & Servant Leadership

Impact suggests we do not expect to slip in and out unnoticed. That doesn't mean we swagger, brag, preach or pontificate. It does mean we are intentional about our actions in the marketplace. We have a strategy. We intend to make a difference by influencing others towards Christ.

How will we do it?

First, we deliberately choose to be servant leaders. Jesus himself, the Great Leader, said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." He also said "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Do we have authority? We will exercise it wisely and prayerfully, with a servant's heart. Do others have authority over us? We will serve wholeheartedly, going the extra mile to add value. In doing this, we will lead the way in showing others Christ in the marketplace.

Second, we demonstrate our faith with work. Real work. Excellent work. When God, who first put us to work, finished His own work of creation, He said "It is very good." We strive for the same, and in so doing we worship Him with strength, creativity and a sense of purpose. Excellence and diligence is our celebration of His work in us.

Third, we favor hands-on delivery over religious-sounding platitudes and false piety. A job well and faithfully done is worth many flowery words. Neither will we settle for worldly attitudes that fall short of God's design for us. We reject victim mentality, defeated thinking, and a false sense of entitlement. These are all forms of negative faith, failure before we start, and a lack of trust in God. In no way is this any part of God's plan for His men.

Having intentionally and deliberately carried out these principles with God’s equipping, we thank Him for the satisfaction He grants to us in our vocations. Along with thanksgiving, we pray and look for opportunities to give a reason for the hope that is in us.

And we will be ready.

See all seven Commitments of a JourneyMan

Hot Rods & JourneyMen

It may not look like much yet, but you should have seen it when it was still part of Pop's old 1966 Chevy C10 pickup truck! There was rust around the edges, and it was well worn, to say the least. It wasn't worth very much on the used jalopy market, but it's still worth plenty to me and Pop.

Just like a few of us JourneyMen, don't you think? Our original Designer built all kind of style and features into us, and over the years we burned rubber, raced the motor, went too long between oil changes, blew out the speakers, and pushed ourselves until we looked a little like Pop's truck before they took it apart.

Here's the good news. Just like the '66 Chevy truck, we are all in restoration, as the Master Mechanic takes us "off the frame" for repairs and fine tuning. We can be sure of this: As we submit to the process of restoration, God can and will finish the job and put us back out on the road again, shining and running with purpose and style.

"I'm just an old chunk of coal, but I'm gonna be a diamond some day." - Billy Joe Shaver

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

JourneyMen ARE the Workers of Matthew 9:37-38

Jesus said, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38).

What do you think of when you hear these words? Who are "the workers"? Where are the "fields"? Was Jesus talking only about missionaries and foreign mission fields? Do you think "sending out more workers" necessarily means taking men from their jobs, trades and professions and re-deploying them to the church or the mission field?

What if we already ARE "the workers", and what if we are already IN "the fields"? If both are true, and there are millions of Christians already in the fields, then how can it be said that the workers are "few"?

Could it be that "the workers" think someone else is doing the work?

When it gets right down to it, how can we JourneyMen NOT be "the workers" of Matthew 9:37-38?

When we go to work, are we taking our calling seriously enough to really be operating as "the workers" Jesus spoke of? What does it look like to be the "workers" in the marketplace, in the office, and on the jobsite?

It is the calling and commitment of a JourneyMan to accept and carry out the Great Commission. A JourneyMan is not destined to conduct himself as a mere employee, employer, or business owner. He is not to merely "do his job and get out". Neither is he called to live a life of mediocrity, nor of "going through the motions".

On the contrary, a JourneyMan is called by God to a higher purpose of excellence, loyalty, prayer and service. He is to build Godly influence with those who are in "the fields". After all, a JourneyMan is SENT to the fields - God's fields - to cultivate them for the harvest. He is CALLED to pray for those in the fields, love them, serve them, lead them, and to set a living example.

A JourneyMan strives to be one of the best employees, employers, business owners, husbands, fathers and brothers “in the fields". His reputation should be such that others look to him as an example of Godly living and working, that he might have influence with those who are the living harvest of Matthew 9:37.

JourneyMen Require Margin

"Margin" (M) has been defined as the space between the "load" (L) on our lives and the "capacity" (C) we have to bear the load.

Margin = Capacity - Load

It's a simple enough concept, but not quite so simple in practice.

All we are responsible for doing, and all that we choose to take on, comprise the "load". Collectively, the load is much greater than it was a generation ago, and far greater than it has been for 99% of the history of mankind. We live in an information-soaked, constantly communicated, work and obligation-loaded, multi-tasked culture.

Each man's "capacity" is his own, and there are many physical, emotional and environmental variables. However, every one of us has 24 hours each day, no more and no less. We each need sufficient rest and exercise, mutually supportive relationships, reasonably healthy food, faith in God, knowledge of our God-given purposes and how to carry them out, and practical experience at effective living.

Depending upon capacity and load, margin can be positive or negative. When load exceeds capacity, margin has gone negative and has become "margin deficit". What does it look like? It looks like chronic multi-tasking. It looks like sleeping five or six hours a night to squeeze in evening activities and still beat commuter traffic in the morning. It looks like skipping our prayer and devotion time, or shortcutting family relationships to "get through" our paces. It looks like disheartenment, and even despair. It looks out of control, because it is. Many of us have been or are now in margin deficit.

Continuous margin deficit is hazardous to our health, our relationships, and our spiritual wellbeing. It causes and contributes to depression, fatigue, irritability, addictions, broken relationships, anxiety, sleep disorders and countless other maladies.

A positive margin is essential to a good life. Quality relationships with God and others are built "in the margin". These relationships suffer or die when margin goes negative. Many of us learn that our best creative thinking and planning is done "in the margin". We simply cannot be fully successful in living our lives as men of God - as JourneyMen - without some positive margin in our lives.

Once it has been given up, margin is difficult but not impossible to reclaim. Restoration of positive margin requires personal strategy and commitment, innovation and follow-through. We cannot reclaim margin by intending to do something about it, or by sleeping less. We must come up with specific, practical ideas to restore margin, then commit ourselves to implementing them.

Accountability is essential to progress: Once we have decided to restore margin in our lives, what are we doing about it?

Look Also to the Interests of Others

The Apostle Paul advised the Philippians, "Each of you should look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4). He instructed the Roman Christians, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3)

We should not take ourselves so seriously that we fail to consider the well being of others around us. However, the universal temptation is to think of ourselves first, last and in between. The pressure to do so is quite real. Some give in to this temptation on the job, while showing a more caring and thoughtful side on Sunday mornings.

This sort of dichotomy might even be rationalized. After all, church is "family", but the work world is a battle ground where enemies surround us ...isn't it? And these kinds of scripture verses apply mostly among friends we can trust ...don't they?

Such notions are easily rejected in the light of the Great Commission and the Great Commandments.

Jesus Himself taught values of teamwork, charity, helpfulness, empathetic concern, and service. He most often demonstrated and taught these qualities in and around the places where people lived and worked. Paul and countless teachers after him have carried the same message.

As JourneyMen, are we heading to the workplace with a conqueror's heart and a servant's attitude? Are we praying for those around us? Are we sensitive to opportunities to invest ourselves in others? Are we on the lookout for divine appointments? If we are, we will surely identify needs, build relationships, and develop influence. Let this be the path by which God blesses and multiplies our efforts to honor Him in our vocations.