FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
TRUTH & LEGACY
During my morning prayer time a few days ago, I kept hearing the drumbeat that men seem to hear every day…
Do more.
Be stronger.
Fix what’s broken.
Don’t fail.
Don’t fall behind.
Secure your legacy.
At Forge, we talk often about discipline, leadership, responsibility, sexual integrity, courage, and repentance. And we should. The Bible calls men to strength under control and faithfulness over a lifetime. But if we aren’t careful, we can slowly begin to believe that Christianity is mainly about managing our weaknesses and patching our failures.
And that’s not the gospel. Aren’t you glad Pastor Pete reminded us of that fact this week.
There’s a line in Megan Woods’ song The Truth that every man needs to preach to himself:
“The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing.”
That doesn’t sound like a performance review. It sounds like belonging, doesn’t it?
Through faith in Christ, you are not on probation. You are not a spiritual contractor trying to earn another 90-day extension. You are a son. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Not future children. Not children once we finally get it together. Children now.
Men of Forge, hear this clearly: our fight against sin is not a fight to become loved. It is a fight because we are loved. We don’t pursue holiness so that God will smile at us. In Christ, He already does. That doesn’t produce passivity. It produces courage. It produces legacy.
When a man believes he is tolerated, he hides.
When a man believes he is loved, he stands up.
The enemy traffics in accusation. “You’re behind. You’re failing your family. You’ll never change. You’re not spiritual enough.” But accusation is not the voice of your Father.
“The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You
And that’s the truth.”
This is not sentimental language. It is covenant reality purchased by Jesus.
We are made in the image of a perfect King. That image is marred by sin, yes. But in Christ, it is being restored. The Father sees us clothed in the righteousness of His Son. He is not constantly wishing we were someone else.
He is forming us into who He designed us to be.
We absolutely need to talk about growth, repentance, discipline, leadership, responsibility, and yes, legacy. Forge exists for that very reason. But none of it works if it is fueled by shame.
Shame says, “Become better so you can belong.”
The gospel says, “You belong. Now become who you are.”
So today, before you fix another weakness or set another goal, anchor yourself in this:
You are your Father’s child.
You are truly loved.
You do not belong to the lies.
You belong to Him.
And that is the truth.
Joe Bouch
