Time and time again we will be disappointed with the answer these paths give us. For a growing percentage of us, it is in pornography. For some of us, it is in drugs and alcohol. You will never have what it takes.” Many men look for the answer to that question in many other places. Unfortunately, by strong words – or lack of them – our fathers answer that question for us. We desperately want to know, “do we have what it takes to be a man?” According to Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, as little boys, we all have a question on our hearts that we want our father to answer. Many of us have that wound from our father. As men, we all have some sort of wound from our parents. How about my parents? In our society, it is all too common to have problems loving our parents. I will never be loved and no one will love me.” Does this sound familiar? Have you heard this old song and dance before? What else can I do? I will never be good enough. You may think, “I’m doing as much as I can. You may feel despair, hopelessness, or a drop in self-esteem.

When these times occur, we are weakened and it is a great time for the Enemy to get a hold on you. There are times when I fall and let her down and there are times when she lets me down. In loving my wife, I work really hard on serving her and on self-sacrifice to put her needs before mine. We all spend time and work on loving our wife and children more as it seems that after work and other life responsibilities, they, unfortunately, get what we have left over. I cherish times my parents come to visit.įor those of us that finished Exodus 90, a lot of time and energy is spent on loving others more. Okay, even if we are okay with letting some material objects go (do you really love your car that much?) how can we love anything more than our wife? How about our children? Our parents? I anxiously await seeing my children at the end of the day when I get back from work. When you think about it realistically, there are so many things and people that we strongly love in the same way. In the Gospel of Mark, when a scribe questioned Jesus about the most important commandments, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30).

Wild at heart john eldredge, catholic