Men’s Night 1.23.24 - Dude’s Guide pt. 3

“We don’t know how to find closure, which makes finding satisfaction difficult… that makes the search fro satisfaction impossible. We’re looking for treasure without a map…” p. 60

“Contentment means not only saying, “Enough,” but also saying, “Well done… It is about who we are as men rather than what we have collected…” p. 61)

I’m way not good at this.

There’s always one more thing.

Does contentment have something to do with rest?

How are we able to rest in contentment?

Our culture has engrained in us an unrest.

“If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.”

Something I’ve had to wrestle with is that rest doesn’t just happen to me. I have to intentionally rest and be content with the work that I’ve done. Not strive to do more in the time I take to rest.

He points us to Genesis, when God creates everything, then rests.

Even God knows when to stop and celebrate.

Genesis 2:1–3 ESV

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

We are to imitate God’s willingness to pause for a day and rejoice in our work.

“Contentment is freedom from the cares of the past and the concerns for the future” p. 62.

RC. Sproul Jr. passage. p. 63 This is huge.

Transit to chapter 6. The Devoted Man.

Sexual promiscuity.

“Too many men have been caught settling for cheap, distorted versions of love rather than seeking the real thing” p. 74.

Tourist trap

The tourist trap of sexual promiscuity provides a pseudo-happiness but misses the power and depth of relationships that we were made for……It takes a long time to become a local and to learn the good spots in town. But when we do, we find a texture and goodness that simply cannot be imitated.” p. 75.

Marriage is hard work.

It takes time and experience to become a local to your wife.

It takes times of getting disappointed, angry, and still coming back.

True men devote themselves to deepening their wives beauty.

What’s that “deepening their wives beauty” mean?

“How do you know if you’re a devoted man?” p. 78

Read paragraph

Notice how we can tell what we are by how our wives respond.

Ephesians 5 is an often cited passage for marriage, but a lot of women get stuck on submit to your husbands (v. 22)

“If your wife has a hard time submitting to you, you’re likely the issue” (Martin Justice).

“Men who seek their wives and devote themselves to their beauty will never run out of things to do” p. 79.

Single guys: become the kind of man a good woman would want.

1 Peter 3:7 ESV

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

What does it mean to “live with your wives in an understanding way”?

What does weaker vessel mean?