In these unprecedented times, Jonathan talks about managing fear, stress, anxiety... some things that men are not particularly open about. This is where leadership comes in, and where we are called by God. The silence of this isolation may be deafening, but we should also hear the calling of the Lord bringing us closer. Let us not grow tired in this season, but activate a new strength and leadership.

New release every Sunday morning. Music tracks include "Only in the Arms of Jesus" from the album "More like Jesus".

Links:
What God Wants to Hear on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3agWLNH
What God Wants to Hear on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2WMwwLf
More Like Jesus on Amazon: https://bit.ly/MLJesus
More Like Jesus on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Uj6BJr
Don't Stop Believing Book on Amazon: https://bit.ly/dsbbook

Machine transcription:
Hello, this is Jonathan Cain, and I'm here with my podcasts anchored, where I share my ideas of faith, family, marriage and manhood. In these unprecedented times, I'd like to address the men listening with us today. Just managing fear, stress, anxiety, something we men are not particularly open about dealing with. This is where leadership comes in, and is where we are called by God. The Silence of this isolation may be deafening, but we should also hear the calling of the Lord bringing us closer. Let us not grow tired in this season, but activate a new strength and leadership. Galatians six verse nine says, and let us not grow weary of doing good. For in due season, we will reap if we do not give. Sometimes as men we're faced with a situation That seems impossible. Seems a mountain has to be moved. But we serve a God of miracles of supernatural power. A God that can take your setback and turn it into a breakthrough. If we just surrender and casts our burden, pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus. All things are possible. So tell your mountain, so tell your situation, declare you can move it, where a seed of faith is found. This song was based on a sermon given by my wife Paula, from more like Jesus, this is tell your mountain when trouble comes to find you, leaves you lost in fear and so searching for an answer kneeling down you pray. Know that after you close your eyes and praying the shafts raise to tell you a mountain struggling to break the chains go tell your mountain. You know much of the old advice of our forefathers handed out of measuring manhood fail to work today, where women's rights and power have awakened and activated so Say men, we could do well to pray and reimagine our masculinity in ourselves this season. As Jesus said in Matthew 914, verse 17, pouring new wine into old wine skins will surely burst the skins. When a man can offer something new rituals of the past will be overwritten and discarded. So instead of walking on eggshells, men can use their masculine to enhance and balance the feminine of their partner. its strength with thoughtfulness, endurance with faithfulness. You see, man, I believe we have an extraordinary opportunity during this season to step up and lead. lead our families, our partners in our business, lead by example, and they will follow First Timothy five verse eight says, but if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse. than an unbeliever. So if you're caught up in fear and anxiety and stress, this quote from Teddy Roosevelt, I think says it all. It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who airs who comes short again and again. Because there is no effort without error and shortcoming. But who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls, who neither know victory nor defeat. We cannot give into this and quit being positive. You know, men are apt to feel ashamed of their anxiety because we're taught in many cultures, and supposed to be brave and fearless. Men are also taught that they're not supposed to be vulnerable. In this context, it's easy for Amanda's see himself in a negative light, if they suffer from anxiety disorder. This will lead them not to seek to a man who is suffering from anxiety. I would say please don't judge your anxiety, and try to deny that you're having anxiety that will only make things worse. If you accept your anxiety as it is, and seek good men to reclaim masculinity and forge a definition guided by empathy. We need to demonstrate that being a real man means being a good man and celebrate the verse examples of good men. We owe it to ourselves to define and defend masculinity in modern context. And we owe it to the generations of men and women coming after us. We have to stop hanging expectations of attire cliche around the necks of our boys. Let us look in the word for guidance, and pass on as elders to the younger generation. Titus one, verse nine says he must hold to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine, and also to rebuke those who contradict Ephesians four verse one, I, therefore a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, which you have been growing up as a boy I had a father who is very vulnerable, he he would show his emotions freely. He would cry tears for Jesus when he prayed in church, he would laugh, he would feel sad, he would show emotions and just you know, jump for joy when it's time to be happy. He was an open book. And today I pray that all of us can learn from you know what my father taught me and consider to be transparent to be vulnerable. have conversations with your partner, have conversations with your children, face the fears together, face them head on, have open conversations with your partner with your children, about what you're afraid of about what is causing anxiety in your in your household. In these times, we're all cooped up together. We have to find a way to reinvent our family life. We have to learn to give each other space when it's called for and we have to come together when it's needed. Men in the US are socialized to be stoic. What happens when they show emotions other than anger? Research demonstrates the men who show sadness at work are thought of Less deserving of that emotion as compared to sad women. A study from 2017 found that men who cry at work are perceived as more emotional and less competent than women. So toxic masculinity just fails fails us all. Right now young men and boys are subjected to enormous pressure to conform to a damaged and damaging kind of masculinity, reinforced by stereotypical examples of real men. A survey of over 1000 men age from 18 to 13. In the US, UK and Mexico, for example, found that young men who embraced rigid cliches of manhood, and how real men should act were more likely to suffer depression, engage in self harm, display risky behavior, like binge drinking and dangerous driving. These young men were also more likely to experience some perpetrate verbal, physical and online bullying, so we as men can learn much from David In the Bible, David testify that God had been to him a fortress and a refuge in a day of my distress. And he knew where to turn when crisis came. In the day of my trouble, I call upon you, for you answer me. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, and a stronghold in times of trouble. And not only David but the psalmist ASAP as well. In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord Psalm 77:2, we can pray for change as we struggle through these challenging times. And we can pray that we can become new men. In our hearts, we can become better men, to our family, to our partners, to our friends, to all we work with. We have an opportunity here to reimagine who we are, and how we interact with all of those around us as men and become leaders. The greatest leader I can think of is Jesus. We all know how vulnerable he was in his suffering in his worship, and his love for the Holy Spirit his father. So let us take a page from the Bible, only in the arms of Jesus, where we find strength and grace. Here now from my album more like Jesus is a song I wrote called, only in the arms Jesus. Through my pain, I know something new was. His love sustains soul and body, restore this power in there is not the name of Jesus To pay the price for those who win darkness I hope the song in this podcast let's do today. And I think we have an opportunity in an exceptional time to become exceptional men for an exceptional God. I'm Jonathan Cain with anchored. We'll see you next time.