It’s no mystery that our boys love fighting and adventure.  They are drawn to TV shows and movies that involve blood, battles, bombs and booby traps.  In their play, someone is always getting killed or blown up.  Our boys thrive on fighting evil and taking risks. In our episode today, we’re going to find out why God created our boys in this way.

WELCOME TO EPISODE 19 OF REDEEMING THE CHAOS, WITH LAURIE CHRISTINE.

WILD AT HEART

In the last episode of Redeeming the Chaos, we looked at the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.  We learned that our boys were created to uniquely reflect God’s image in their masculinity.  We learned that God created our boys to be wild and dangerous.  And we learned that God created our boys with the desire to fight battles and live for adventure.  If you haven’t yet listened to that episode, go back and listen to Episode 18.

Today, we’re going to look a little deeper into these two desires: An adventure to live and a battle to fight. 

BOYS WANT AN ADVENTURE TO LIVE

First let’s take a closer look at our boys’ desire for adventure. 

John Eldredge says that our boys so often hear the word “DON’T” in their young lives.  

“Don’t climb on that, don’t break anything. Don’t be so aggressive, don’t be so noisy, don’t be so messy, don’t take such crazy risks.  But God’s design,” eldredge states,  “which he placed in boys as the picture of himself — is a resounding YES. Be fierce, be wild, be passionate.”  p. 36, Wild at Heart.

Moms…when our boys are being loud, aggressive and passionate, remember that they are reflecting God’s character.  How can we allow our kids to take reasonable risks in their lives? How can we say yes more than we say no?  Am I willing to release some of my control and allow my boys to be wild and dangerous? 

Our boys are just not happy unless they are pursuing adventure and taking risks.  

I’m sure you can tell me countless stories of your boys living on the edge… perhaps quite literally!  

All of my boys have been climbers from the time they were able to crawl. Pretty much every time we go to a playground or a park, a worried mother or grandmother comes running over to me, points to the top of a tree or a rock or the swingset, and asks in a terrified voice, “Are those your boys way up there??” To which I always smile and nod and reply, oh yes, they are just fine.

John Eldredge recounts a time when he found one of his boys with a rope tied out his second floor bedroom window, preparing to rappel down the side of the house.  

He says, “The recipe for fun is pretty simple raising boys: add to any activity an element of danger stir in a little exploration, add a dash of destruction and you’ve got yourself a winner.” p.13 Wild at Heart.

LIVING BY FAITH MEANS TAKING RISKS

We talked in the last episode about how our life as a Christian is all about taking risks… about stepping into the unknown with God and trusting that he is good. That’s what living by faith is all about.  Living by faith always involves an element of risk.

Eldredge says that God “created the world in such a way that it only works when we embrace risk as the theme of our lives, which is to say, only when we live by faith.” p.202, Wild at Heart

So, when we allow our boys to take calculated risks in their lives; when we allow them to try,