THE WILD MAN'S HEART

As I think about what it means to have the heart of a wild man, I am immediately impressed with the vision that has guided my life for the past two years.  That vision, that ultimate theme that my life lays its foundation to rest upon, is of course the sweetest words to my lips: freedom.  I can find no word so satisfactory to whisper nor as wonderful to the heart as freedom.  The beauty of the freedom I have found in Christ takes a transforming role in my understanding about what it means to be a man.  Experiencing the power and gravitas of that freedom which was paid for by Christ's blood has the single greatest consequence on my maturing consciousness -- that I am not a citizen bound to the spiritual powers of this world, but rather I am free... I am a wild man, with a wild-man's-sized heart to fall in love with the adventures in store.

In the process of growing and maturing, I find myself at a definitive crossroad where I see two possible outcomes, the destinations on which these forks in the road arrive.  On one side I see the man that the world expects me to become... proud, self-seeking, rich, and arrogant.  The men of this world reap their harvest of money, fame, and grandeur.  They are rewarded with the attention of women, esteem by their peers, and history's grace.  Yet on the other side I see the man that God has laid out for me to be.  His rewards are not so immediate nor shine so bright to the eyes in this world, but the gifts of wisdom, character, community, freedom, and love... are rewards far greater to the soul than the meaningless trophies of this world that will be wiped away in the coming storm.  From the all the powers of this world that seek decay, rust and destroy, I find freedom.  I find freedom from the man the world expect me to be, and I find the strength to have the courage to be the man that God destined for me to become.  I have a wild man's heart, and that heart cannot be swayed by the dark and meaningless, nor the second best.

At the same time, I look ahead and find that there is a great distance between that man God wants me to be and who I am today.  The deeper into my heart I look, the more inconsistencies I am finding.  If a godly man is one blessed with the virtues of wisdom, mercy, grace, humility, courage, unbridled love, and a passionate heart for justice, I can only see the many ways I fall short.  Yet what I do have is freedom.  I have freedom from the guilt that would have me ignore that God is well pleased with who I am, loves me as I am, and is excited for my journey.  Wisdom is a gift, but it is one planted in small seeds that take root in our experiences, and flourish through moments enchanted by divine whispers -- in this way I do see the path to becoming a godly man as an epic journey... a wonderful adventure in freedom sans the weight of shame.

"You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.  So why do you keep  on following the rules of this world, such as "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"?  Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.  These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self denial, and severe bodily discipline.  But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires (emphasis added).  Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."  Colossians 2:20 - 3:3

I have the heart of a wild man, and I am not impressed by the powers of this world.  The world would like nothing more than for me to live in shackles, but I am wild and I am free.  Let the adventure begin.