4.  Real men expect a greater reward – God’s reward.

Adam was not satisfied with the life God was promising him. Unfortunately, he thought that he was going to beat God’s best for him, and so he ate from the tree God told him not to.  Every man since him has discovered that as we try to gain something better than what God already has to give us, we always fall short.

Jesus Christ knew that if He stayed the course, He would get all that God had for Him.  The writer of Hebrews implores us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus endured a horrendous death because He expected a greater reward – God’s reward.  He looked through the difficulty of the moment and expected the reward: the joy of knowing He had accomplished His Father’s purposes for Him, eternal life for all who believe, and an eternity in glory at the right hand of His Father.  This is what motivated Him, and this is what motivates a real man as well.  Christ offers this endurance to all who trust in Him.

Our families need us to be real men: one who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects the greater reward – God’s reward!