What does it mean to gird up your loins? Three men of action immediately come to mind who could answer this question and they are the messenger, the laborer and the soldier. When a messenger received his orders to quickly bring a message to or from a powerful leader, he would gather up the lower part of his robe or tunic and tuck it into his belt. His legs, now free to move quickly, were prepared to run and run fast.
The laborer, on preparing himself to plant or harvest would perform the same ritual so that his clothing would not impede him in his labors. Not having to fret about his clothing dragging or catching he could focus in on the work to be done.
Finally, the soldier would look imposing in his tunic and leather belt in a parade, but in battle his legs needed to be free for advancing and retreating, for taking a stand and kicking. Hence, from these three examples we see that this quaint expression gird up you loins means that it is urgent that you prepare to run, labor or fight.
This blog is an urgent call to men to prepare to run, labor or fight. It is not unique in this call, it is simply another voice to add to the culture war in which men are disappearing. Our culture has embraced an embarrassing extended adolescence that permits and even encourages boys to remain boys well into adulthood. It is not unusual to find 30 and 40 year old males sitting in their mother's basement playing video games or wandering the streets dressed in play clothes. Where are the men who can lead, who take pleasure in work, who will protect the weak, who can build and bind up what's broken.
A man must be prepared to run. Obviously he should be physically fit but the distance runner knows that running isn't just about physical endurance, it's about a mental persistence and an attitude of perseverance and most of all the resolve to finish the course. One theme that I am going to keep retuning to in this blog is the idea that love must run. A love that runs is the attitude that drives the servant. A love that runs is not a love that waits to answer a need when and if it comes, but it's a love that seeks and rescues the weak, the helpless and those in need. This was so dramatically demonstrated on 9/11/2001. As the World Trade Center was progressively weakened by the hellish caldron that burned inside, those who could escape ran quickly away from the building. Remarkably, hundreds of people did not! The firemen, the police, the rescue teams said "no" to the urge to run away and ran instead TOWARD the danger, TOWARD the crisis, TOWARD the suffering. Love runs toward suffering, love runs through the pain and toward the pain.
The second theme of this blog will involve labor. Work was NOT a part of the curse that Adam brought upon mankind. Adam was created for work and we glorify our Creator when we take pleasure and pride in our work.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossions 3:23, 24
Men have been hunters, builders, fixers, leaders because God has called them to provide for and protect their families - anything less than this is insubordination.
The third theme that we will visit repeatedly is the imperative to fight. The Gospel means 'good news' but as we make our way through a fallen world and surrounded by the conditions of wrath we must recognize that the Gospel is WAR! A man must be able to defend the faith (apologetics) and apply the truth and power of the gospel in the circumstances of life. War is the process of replacing evil with good, of tearing down strongholds raised against the knowledge of God and of setting captives free. The fighter establishes boundaries and protects the homeland. The fighter is prepared to stand, he hopes and prays for peace but in no way will retreat and give evil a foothold.
I will close this first post with a favorite poem by Ethelwyn Wetherald:
My orders are to fight;
Then if I bleed, or fail,
Or strongly win, what matters it?
God only doth prevail.
The servant craveth naught
Except to serve with might.
I was not told to win or lose,
My orders are to fight.
