Not long ago, I attended the college commencement
exercises for my daughter.
It was an exciting day for the students who had
worked so hard to finish their studies.
As I was watching, it was gratifying to think about
the hard work and determination it took for
each of those graduates just to be there.
One of the top students in the class gave the
valedictorian address.
He was a young man, probably in his early 30s,
who had distinguished himself as an outstanding
student.
He told his story, and gave a really remarkable
speech.
He spoke of challenges and obstacles--some very
personal--that he had overcome.
And it was quite touching.
He was there with his wife and his young daughter,
and I couldn't help but feel admiration for this
man and what he was already making of his
life.
Toward the end of his talk, he spoke of the
women in his life--his mother, his daughter, his
wife--and how important they were to him.
But then his speech went down a perplexing path.
He addressed the men in the audience and said,
"Really the best thing we can do for the women in
our lives, is just get out of the way."
I thought to myself, Wow, what a shocking statement!
Out of all the things that we could say to a generation
of young men, that's the best we can expect?
At that moment, there were thousands of men in the
audience.
And I thought of them.
And I asked myself, Is this going to inspire them to
dream great dreams, to be builders of society, and
to strive to serve and give of themselves to
their families?
When the best we expect of them is just "Get out of
the way."
I walked away shaking my head.
Not because I'm against men learning to honor and
respect and admire the women in their lives.
No, quite the contrary.
Rather, I thought, what a shame for the opportunity
missed to show both men and women they can help
each other.
See, life is made up of relationships, the most
important being marriage.
And a marriage partnership between a man and a woman
takes teamwork and sacrifice on both sides.
So what is the best a man can do?
How can he be successful in marriage and in life?
The answer doesn't come from the woke agenda of
our modern world that believes masculinity is
toxic.
Rather, the answer lies in understanding a man's real
purpose.
And that purpose is revealed in the Bible.
Today on Tomorrow's World, I'd like to explore this
topic.
And in a little while I'll give you an opportunity to
request a copy of the free study guide, "God's Plan
for Happy Marriage." The modern, secular, radical
agenda is not giving our young men and boys the
true perspective they need.
What they need is to grow up to be strong and
sensible husbands and fathers.
This study guide can help them do just that.
So, what is the Best a Man Can Do when it comes to
navigating the relationships of marriage
and family?
I'll be right back with the answer.
♪
Welcome to Tomorrow's World, where we help you
make sense of your world through the pages of the
Bible.
Is the highest ideal we can expect from a man,
just to "get out of the way" of women?
Or were men and women designed to work together
to succeed?
If you've been watching this program for any
length of time, you know we hold the Bible to be
the source of wisdom for life.
It was inspired by God.
And it gives us advice about how to make our
relationships work.
God made men to be men.
He made women to be women.
He put us in marriages and in families.
And not surprisingly, He has instructions for men
on what we can do to make our relationships work.
So, what's the best a man can do, to achieve this
God-given potential?
We'll identify three things in today's program.
Number 1: Love and honor your wife
Now, that's simple, you might say.
Everyone does that.
If you're married, you love your wife--otherwise
why would you get married?
But stop and think for a moment.
Maybe we don't fully understand what it means
to love and honor your wife, since so many
marriages end in divorce.
Look at the statistics.
In the United States, if you were married in the
1950s, 25 years later you have about a 25% chance of
being divorced.
If you were married in the 1970s, 25 years later you
have almost a 50% chance of being divorced.
That's an American tragedy.
But it's not just in the United States where so
many marriages are failing.
In England and Wales, a similar trend is
occurring.
In England and Wales, if you take all the marriages
entered into in the year 2000, 17 years later,
almost 35% of them had failed.
This is not just an American problem, nor is
it just in the British Isles.
A Psychology Today article written in 2019 reports,
"Globally, in the nearly four decades between 1970
and 2008, the divorce rate has more than doubled...."
The title of the article was "Divorce Rates Around
the World: A Love Story." I wouldn't call that a
love story.
I'd call that a painful and heartrending disaster.
So what is wrong with marriage today?
Maybe we don't know what "love your wife" really
means. Now of course,
we can't lay all the blame for divorces on men.
Both men and women have a part to play.
But in the context of our topic today, shouldn't we
be looking at what men contribute to their side
of the marriage, so they can be better at truly
loving their wives?
Many have overlooked the fact that the Bible gives
practical and direct advice to men about love
and marriage.
So notice what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians
chapter 5, and verse 28...
"So husbands ought to love their own wives as their
own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes
and cherishes it...."
So, think about this, men.
Do you take care of yourself?
Do you look after your health, your well-being,
your needs?
Of course you do.
We all do.
Paul is saying, if you're married, treat your wife
like you would treat yourself.
Talk with her.
Be aware of her needs.
Be patient and thoughtful even when she's down or
upset.
That's what love is.
It's not just a passing feeling or romantic
notion.
It's a commitment to care for another human being as
you'd care for yourself in good times or bad.
Now, think about it.
Would men and women be happier if real love was
emphasized in our culture?
I think the answer is obvious.
The Apostle Peter echoed the same instruction to
men.
In 1 Peter 3:7...
"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with
understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to
the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of
the grace of life, that your prayers may not be
hindered."
The Bible tells men to honor women.
Not to demean them.
Not to put them down.
Not to insult or abuse them.
But to honor them.
Now, some will take issue with Paul for saying women
are the weaker vessel.
But it's really not hard to understand.
In fact, in the article, "What Science Tells Us
About Transgender Women Athletes," the authors put
it succinctly: "Men are, on average, bigger,
faster, stronger and have greater endurance than
women...."
There are exceptions of course.
But by and large, this is true.
But why did God create men to be bigger and stronger?
To dominate women?
To crush them physically or emotionally?
No.
Rather, it was God's intention that a man
learns to care for, nourish and protect the
woman he's committed himself to.
You know, there was a time in naval history when the
unwritten rule was, if a ship went down, the women and
children would get the lifeboats first.
This code of conduct was popularized in 1852 at the
sinking and evacuation of the Royal Navy ship
HMS Birkenhead.
It was thereafter called the "Birkenhead drill"
because of the ship captain's insistence that
the men give up their lives for the protection
of the women and children that were on that ship.
The same standard was applied at the sinking of
the Titanic.
Many men gave up their spot on lifeboats to their
wives and children.
And they themselves died in the icy waters of the
north Atlantic.
But one has to wonder, have we come to the point in our
history where men today would feel no sense of
responsibility to protect women in an emergency such
as that?
Is that who we are?
Men were designed to stand up for
and cherish and protect their wives to their last
breath.
But marriage is under attack.
And that's why we're offering a free study
guide that can help you learn what true love
really means.
Written by the late Roderick C. Meredith,
it's called, "God's Plan for Happy
Marriage." In it he explains the husband's
responsibility to his wife.
He shows that too many have confused "love" with
"lust," and that true love involves giving and
sharing.
He challenges men to not grow critical with their
wives, if they don't measure up to perfection.
Your marriage is the most intimate relationship in
your life.
Cherish it.
This booklet can help men and women grow, to be what
God wants them to be.
So order online, call, or write today.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to
Tomorrow's World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science,
and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow's World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
In the last segment of our program we
saw that just telling men to "get out of the way" of
women is not the solution to our relationship
problems.
Husbands and wives are to work as a team, not as
competitors.
And men need to be inspired and challenged to
care for and care about their wives.
So loving and honoring wives is vital.
But that's not all there is.
In this segment we'll examine a second challenge
for men to be their best.
About 3,000 years ago there lived a very wise
king.
His reputation spread far and wide.
We have many of his teachings preserved in the
Bible.
His name was Solomon.
And from Solomon we get our second challenge to
men:
Number 2: Fear God and keep His commandments
What does this have to do with a man's relationship
with his wife?
Well, let me explain.
The phrase is actually taken straight out of the
Bible.
Let's read it together.
It's found in Ecclesiastes 12:13...
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this
is man's all."
When Solomon summed up the purpose of life, the
meaning of life, and why we're here,
this is what he said.
Fear God.
Keep His Commandments.
This is man's all.
Now, we understand "man" here to be "mankind," or
"humanity." But let's step back and apply this
scripture to the half of humanity that is called
men.
What if every last man on this earth was doing
this today?
How would it change the world?
How would it change the world for women?
Well, first of all, if all men feared God, there
would be no crime.
There would be no domestic abuse.
There would be no fear for women walking down a dark,
abandoned alley late at night.
Now, what does "fear God" mean?
God doesn't want us to be frightened or terrified of
Him.
It just means, He wants our attention, our focus
and our obedience.
He wants us to deeply respect Him and hold Him
in awe.
Why is that?
Well, because He's in Heaven and we're on earth.
He made us. He controls everything around
us.
And He knows us better than we know ourselves.
He knows what we need to do that will really make
us happy in the long run.
What about the commandments?
They simply are the Ten Commandments, as found in
the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament.
You know, the Ten Commandments often get a
bad rap today.
They are seen as harsh or demanding dictates from an
unloving and uncaring God.
But have you ever actually looked at them to see what
they say?
Many of them actually teach us how to love our
neighbor.
Let's look at the command against adultery:
This is found in Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."
Well, what's adultery?
That's an old word that means having sexual
relations with someone who is not your wife.
Now how out of fashion is that?
And yet, imagine all of the broken marriages torn
apart because of infidelity.
Certainly, infidelity can be the cause of actions of
either the husband OR the wife.
But let's focus on the men right now.
What if men, from little on, were taught to be
faithful to their wives, till death?
That sex is a precious gift that only belongs in
a lifelong, committed marriage relationship.
Do we see how keeping this and other of the 10
Commandments would make the world a safer and more
secure world for women?
Women don't need men to get out of the way.
Women need men to fear God and keep His commandments.
That would make a radical and monumental change for
the better.
But we can take this one step further.
Because Jesus explained in Matthew 5:27 that there is
physical adultery, and then there is adultery of
the heart. Matthew 5:27...
"You have heard that it was said to those of old,
'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to
you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her
has already committed adultery with her in his
heart."
Pornography is a curse in our western nations.
It's not just a curse for men--women get hooked,
too.
In fact, according to a 2016 working paper by
researchers for the University of Oklahoma,
"Men who started watching pornography partway
through a 2-year period doubled their chances of
divorce.
For women, that number tripled."
At a 2002 meeting of the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, attorneys gathered were
surveyed about the effects of porn on divorce.
What were the results of the survey?
"'An obsessive interest in Internet pornography' was
a significant factor in 56 percent of their divorce
cases the prior year."
So, stop and think this through.
What if men were taught, from a young age, that
it's not only wrong to commit fornication or
adultery, but it's wrong to even harbor lustful
thoughts toward a woman?
What if our culture would support parents' efforts
to protect their children from inappropriate images
in the media, in movies, and on the Internet?
What a different world this would be.
If you are a man and watching this now, think
about your life.
Think about your relationships.
If you have a porn problem, get help.
Get past it.
Overcome it.
Porn is sin.
And sin destroys trust.
Sin tears apart marriages.
Yes, God can forgive.
And He will forgive, if we repent.
But first we must admit we've sinned and must have
a deep desire to overcome it with God's help.
As men, let's aspire to do more than just "get out of
the way" of the women in our life.
How about giving our life to God.
How about committing to keep His laws, so that our
wives and our families will be blessed.
Our relationships will grow.
Their trust in us will strengthen.
We'll be happier and they'll be happier.
Again, we only have time to scratch the surface of
this topic.
And that's why we are offering this free
publication, "God's Plan for Happy Marriage."
In it, Roderick Meredith explains the importance of
"commitment and trust".
He shows that it takes effort to build a
God-centered marriage, but it's worth it.
And he reminds us, we must "learn to forgive".
There is so much more than we can go into right now.
But you can order your free copy today.
So, call us, write, or order online.
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
Call now!
Or go to...
A few years ago, a well-known men's
skin-care products company set off a firestorm by a
commercial they ran.
The commercial not-so-subtly suggested
that we should accept the progressive media view
that men in general are toxic bullies and need to
improve.
The slogan of the commercial was, "The Best
Men Can Be."
Now we've already seen that God intended for men to
care for their wives, to cherish them, and to
protect them.
So, yes, men should not be bullies.
But the commercial didn't tell the whole story.
It didn't finish the narrative of what men
should attain to.
How can a man be "the best that he can be?"
Let's talk about that now.
Number 3:
Become like Jesus Christ
Almost 2,000 years ago, there was a man who walked
this earth, whose name was Jesus Christ.
Many in our secular, humanistic culture of
today don't want to hear about Him, but He was the
ultimate man.
He was the standard.
In fact, He was God in the flesh.
He had been at the throne of the Father for all
eternity past, and He emptied Himself of His
divinity.
We read of that in Philippians 2:6.
Referring to Jesus Christ, Paul writes...
"who, though he was in the form of God, did not count
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross." That was from the
English Standard Version.
He had been at the throne of God, with the Father.
He gave that up for us.
To become flesh and blood.
To walk with us.
He humbled Himself.
But He wasn't a weakling.
There is a common misconception about Jesus
Christ as being a sort of an effeminate individual who
was soft and weak.
Perhaps it's because many pictures portray Him that
way.
But think about it.
He was a carpenter.
He was a builder.
And back then there were no power tools.
His hands were strong and used to work.
Again, it doesn't mean He was weak because He cared
for the interests of others.
In fact, here's an example of the type of man He was,
found in Matthew 21:12...
"Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove
out all those who bought and sold in the temple,
and overturned the tables of the money changers and
the seats of those who sold doves."
Jesus Christ wasn't a bully.
But He also wasn't afraid of taking strong action
when it was required.
The Temple was the house of God.
And when He found crooks there taking advantage of and
cheating the people, He stopped them, and He
threw them out.
Notice what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, in
Ephesians 4:13...
"Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ."
If you're a man who cares about your family and your
wife, commit to becoming like Christ.
If you want to make a difference in your world
and build something worthwhile, become like
Christ.
If you want to set a strong and solid example
for others to follow, become like Christ.
He's the standard.
He's the measure.
He set the pace.
And that's what this world needs more of.
That's what women need.
Men like Christ.
I think one of the most touching and powerful
passages in the Bible is at the end of Christ's
life, when He's hanging on the stake, and He speaks
to John, the disciple He was closest to.
Let's read it together...
"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother,
and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the
disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to
His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!'
Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your
mother!'
And from that hour that disciple took her to his
own home."
That was in John 19:25-27.
Jesus loved the whole world.
Every human being.
That's why He gave His life.
That's why He allowed men to kill Him.
So you and I could have a way out of sin.
But even as He was hanging there, in his last
moments, He did not forget the woman who had bore Him
and raised Him.
He ensured His mother would be cared for, just
before He died.
The last act of a dynamic, powerful, and caring man.
Don't give in to the cynical view of today, the
idea that the Bible puts down women and tells men
to do so.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Bible holds men accountable for treating
women well, and challenges them to do so, with God's
help.
If you care about marriage and upholding this
God-given relationship, you need this booklet.
It's called "God's Plan for Happy Marriage."
It will help you see what your marriage can be.
It can change your life.
So order yours now.
"God's Plan for Happy Marriage." Call, click or
write today.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's
World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science,
and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow's World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
If you're a man, think about your life.
Think about how you treat others.
Think about how you interact with women,
especially your wife.
Are you living up to the standard of Jesus Christ?
If you have young boys, it's your responsibility
to teach them how to be a real man.
Not just a macho reflection of a movie
hero, but a real man.
Like Jesus Christ.
To honor and respect women.
Not just "get out of their way."
What if you're a woman?
What about the men in your life?
If you have a husband, respect him.
Value him.
Appreciate what he does for you.
Tell him you are thankful for how he sacrifices for
you.
And raise your boys to be valiant and faithful men
themselves who respect women and value their own
masculinity.
We're living in difficult times.
But God is looking for men--and women--who can
rise to the challenge.
In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read this...
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout
the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf
of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
Men, it's not enough just to get out of the way.
For the sake of the women in our lives, we must
become what God wants us to be.
Thank you for watching--don't forget to
order your free study guide, "God's Plan for
Happy Marriage."
And keep watching for more Tomorrow's World episodes.
As Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, and I
explain the Good News of Tomorrow's World, and the
comfort and hope it can bring to you, your family,
and all humanity.
See you next time!
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow's World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
♪
The preceding program is
produced by the Living Church of God.
♪
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Tomorrow's World magazine makes sense of today's
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