The Talk of Men: 12 Jan 2011

A long while ago, a friend of ours decided to lead a group of us men by sending out an email each day based on a devotional book that he had; he also provided some additional commentary on the matter to share his perspective. His hopes and intent were that recipients of the email would follow suit and share their perspective after also having reflected and meditating on the scriptures and the reading.
Recently, a recipient of said email and of this email has gone back into the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. As many gathered around to see how they can help, he mentioned that a continuation of this practice would be helpful as a way to not only help him stay spiritually connected to other men during a difficult and trying time, but also as an encouragement to him to stay connected with God both in prayer and in scripture. I am of the opinion that this would be one of the least of things we could do, but moreso something that would be beneficial for those that would dare have the bravery to participate for their own good as well. This is my attempt to have such mettle.
Disclaimer: The “thoughts and questions” that I provide at the end of the (editorial) review of the reading, I provide as questions of my own that I add not as asking them to you, the recipients of this email, but as questions that come to me whose answers may bear some meaning in my life, but maybe they don’t. If my thoughts and questions, stir you to reflect on the same reading but in a different way than you naturally had, my purpose to include them in the email is served.
If you feel led, please “reply to all” to share your thoughts as well. All replies should be thought of by their sender

The content of each days dicussion, at least for the first several days is based on the sermon series “The Role of Men” by Pastor Matt Chandler. This sermon series is available at his church’s website: http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/sermons and is the 3-week sermon series starting 12 Aug 2008.

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12 Jan 2011
Reading: Genesis 2:15 – 3:24

I am challenged(confronted) by a certain topic facing Adam, the first man on earth. Soon after he was placed in the world, God charged Adam to work the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). This was before the fall of man. I often wonder, and I am not alone, what our purpose really is on earth. While Jesus makes our purpose very clear through the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, I sometimes think about what our purpose was before Christ came to the earth. This passage in Genesis provides some answer to the question. This verse points out that, literally, God created Adam to work the Garden of Eden. Our task, to some extent, is to work the earth; to create, cultivate, build, manage, and govern (look after) the earth.
Then, in Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve are decieved by the snake and commit the first sin, God curses the animals, the woman, and then the man, saying:
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17b – 19, NIV)
It is clear here that God intends for man to work the earth, but when man sins and sin enters the earth, that we as men will have to toil with the earth, and in many times, the toil of the earth will be in pain, and earth will produce thorns and thistles.
My thoughts and questions:
• How many times, I wonder, do we attribute difficult things as “God not blessing us” when it is really this result of the fall of man?
• If it was God’s intent, maybe not originally but ultimately, that we will through “painful toil” live on the earth, what is the purpose of this pain and toil? Does God intend for us to learn something, just praise Him in the midst, experience something, or to use that something for His purpose? Maybe many of these things?
• If this (previous) is God’s intent, then is it really something “bad” or more accurately something difficult but part of God’s plan? If this is so, is my faith strong enough to endure something just out of faith, without knowing why, or for how long?
• Should I be really shocked when “problems” continue to arise in life? What perspective does God want me to have when dealing with it? Is God interested in the solution, or in something else?

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(This is my first attempt at this. If you find this review/commentary/editorial just pure swill, please forgive me.)
Also, if you think that someone else would like to be included on this email, please send me their email and I will add them to the distribution list.