Our assigned seats are positional seats of authority, dignity and responsibility. Whether a man knows it or not, by the very nature of being a male he is positioned and seated within a protocol of authority.
The seat that we hold is incredibly important to our families, communities, churches and countries. If we fail to take our seat and demonstrate competence those under our authority could suffer tremendous harm.
We’re seeing the repercussions of men who do not take their seat of authority within our culture. Leaders who are inexperienced and incompetent in their duties wreak havoc as leaders. We are left with the repercussions for their dereliction of duties.
The same is true for husbands who do not take their seat of purpose for being a husband. If a man doesn’t take his seat of purpose to be a father his relationship with his children will fail. A man who doesn’t understand his purpose of authentic manhood will be unable protect his dignity as a man.
The seat of authentic manhood is a vital position to occupy. As men, we need to take our seat and discover how our position of authority comes with distinct purposes, controls our appetites and stabilizes our emotions.
“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Prov. 20:5).
At FivestarMan, we talk a lot about this Proverb from Solomon because it contains an enormous amount of insight and information. Let’s look at it again but from a different angle.
The Hebrew word for heart means, “seat of purposes, seat of appetites and seat of emotions.”
Seat of Purposes
First of all, we see that within the heart of man is the seat of purposes. We’ve defined the FivestarMan as a man who gains the understanding of the five purposes of authentic manhood—he has an adventurous spirit, entrepreneurial drive, is gallant in relationships, faithful in character, and wants to leave a legacy through philanthropic cause.
When a man gains understanding of these purposes his life becomes a passionate pursuit of authentic manhood.
These purposes are encouraging and empowering because when a man focuses upon his purposes, he casts off the things that constrain him.
“I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).
The Apostle Paul was able to keep his eyes on the prize even while enduring hardships, times of imprisonment, times of famine and times of rejection. He was empowered with purpose.
Your heart is the seat of purposes—the five purposes of authentic manhood give you directional intent. You’re able to keep focused to fulfill the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, has called you.
Seat of Appetites
Secondly, the heart houses the seat of appetites. Out of the heart flows the issues of life or the appetites that motivate us and drive us toward fulfilling purpose.
“He who labors, labors for himself, for his mouth craves it of him” (Prov. 16:26).
Within our heart is the seat of purpose to work. As I say often, God gave man a job before He gave man the responsibility of a wife. From the purpose of work—or what we call the Entrepreneurial Drive—is the appetite or internal drive to work.
Unfortunately and insidiously, our government is stripping man of both the desire and opportunity to work. It’s a perversion of purpose. It is disastrous when a man has the passion to pursue work yet has lost the opportunity to fulfill it.
When a man lacks understanding of his purposes his appetite becomes insatiable.
“All the labor of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied” (Eccl. 6:7).
A man can never be satisfied in his labor or life without knowing the purpose behind his pursuit. However, when a man knows and flows from his purposes he can easily dictate and control his appetite.
When you’re in training you condition your body and submit your diet to a strict regiment. The prize before you causes you to deny your flesh. This is what separates the amateurs from the professionals. Champions do daily what the average man does occasionally.
Not long ago I went to my physician and talked about my age and the goals that I have for my health. I shared with him my desire to have the stamina to fulfill my purpose and achieve my destiny. I submitted myself to a new lifestyle of eating and exercise.
I eat to become trim and exercise to be fit. That means that I must deny my appetite to dictate to it my purpose.
Seat of Emotions
Men are emotional beings, but we express our emotions quite differently than women do. When we do express our emotions, they’re often an eruption of bottled-up sensitivities. The intensity and release can burst forth as the air rushing from a punctured balloon. After the emotional explosion has passed, we then have to clear up the collateral damage.
Where are these emotions stored and how do we express them on a more consistent basis so that we don’t explode?
The heart contains the seat of emotions, but our emotions flow from our purposes. In other words, we shouldn’t base our emotions on the external factors of life, but on the internal passions of purpose.
I witness this constantly after communicating the message of FivestarMan. Men come into the meeting pretty laid back in their posture, but as I speak of the five purposes and they gain understanding of them, their posture changes and they begin to lean into learning.
At the conclusion of the message, almost unanimously, men explode with emotions. Men will often come up to shake my hand and find themselves completely surprised by the depth of their emotions. At times they struggle with what to say to me about the impact of the message.
It certainly isn’t because of my eloquence of speaking. It is simply a result of the deep purposes within their heart—the seat of purposes, appetites and emotions.
So, I challenge you to take your seat—the seat of positional authority. Live up to the dignity of authentic manhood. Passionately pursue the five purposes that are on deposit within you and you will see the alignment of those purposes empower and inspire your life.
Neil Kennedy has passionately promoted God’s Word for 25-plus years of ministry. He is known for practically applying biblical principles that elevate people to a new level of living. As a business, church, ministry and life consultant, Kennedy has helped others strategize the necessary steps to reach their full potential.
For the original article, visit fivestarman.com.
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