Get Up and Get After It

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Gentlemen, every day is a battle. A battle for your faith, your family, and your purpose. The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives, they prepare before it begins. Welcome to the Men's Morning Devotional. Let's get into God's word. It's time to man up.

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Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Steve Alesi, and it's time for another man up moment. Just a reminder: if you're enjoying our devotionals, be sure to share with a brother because he can use it just like you can use it. Now, today we're looking at the book of wisdom in Proverbs chapter six, with our devotional being about a man who is challenged to get up and get after it. Proverbs chapter six, six to eleven. Go to the ant, you slugger, consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like abandon, and scarcity like an armed man. Now it's interesting that when Solomon wants to teach us about hard work, he doesn't point to a great warrior or high level leader or even a successful businessman. He says, Go look at the ant. And here's why. Nobody has to wake an ant up in the morning. Nobody has to stand over him and say, Come on, man, get up, let's get moving. We got work to do. No, the ant seems to wake up knowing there's an opportunity out there, and he goes to work after it. Solomon says, it has no commander, no overseer, no ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. What he's actually showing us here is a picture of self-discipline, and every single man needs it. There comes a point in our life when you have to stop needing someone else to motivate us. Our wife shouldn't have to do it. Our boss surely shouldn't have to push us. Our pastor shouldn't have to convince us on Sunday that we need to pursue God and his word, nor should a doctor have to scare us into taking care of ourselves. You see, at some point, a man has to learn how to lead himself. The ant seems to understand something that a lot of us miss. And that is when there is opportunity, we better take advantage of it. Let me say that again. When there is an opportunity, we had better take advantage of it. So for the ant, he gathers in summer because he knows winter is coming. He doesn't wait for the winter to come. He does his work on the front side. For you, you're going to find that there are seasons in life when there will be open doors for you to do things, like when you have your strength, when you have your health, when opportunity knocks, when people around you are there to help you, or even when you have time to build something. Hear me, you don't want to waste those seasons. You need to get after it now. So Solomon then asks a pretty direct question. How long will you lie there? Notice he's not saying that rest is wrong. I mean, even God created rest and he rested on the seventh day of creation. But the problem is a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands. You see, it's always the little, a little here, a little there. It's sometimes thinking that I'll start this project tomorrow when I feel like it, or I'll get busy on the marriage later. Or even I'll get serious about my finances next month. And one little delay gets added to another until suddenly years have passed. That's why Solomon warns that poverty can come like a bandit, because you don't always see it coming. And this principle is bigger than just your money. You see, you can become poor in your marriage or in your health or even in a relationship that you have with your kids. You can even become poor spiritually, not because you made one terrible decision of sin, but because you kept putting off the small things that you know you needed to do. So here's the lesson from the ant. Do today what needs to be done today. Successful men aren't always the most talented men. A lot of times they're simply the men who learn to consistently get up and get after it. So here's your man up challenge for today. Identify one area of your life where you've been saying, I'll get to it. And then get to it today. Whether it's a call, a workout, your Bible, maybe it's a responsibility, maybe it's a project you've been wanting to start, whatever it is, just take the first step today. And regardless of the way you feel, just don't wait until you feel motivated. Discipline does what needs to be done, whether you feel like it or not. So man up. Get after it, get it done. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the opportunities you've put in front of us. Give us the discipline to use our time wisely and the wisdom to recognize the season that we are in. Help us not to procrastinate or wait for someone else to motivate us. Teach us to lead ourselves, work hard, and faithfully handle what you've placed in our hands. In Jesus' name, amen.

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All right, gentlemen, you've heard God's word. Now go live it. Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do. Share this devotional with another brother. Remember, every day is another opportunity to man up.