Written by Alex Gerber, Moving Men Forward

Background

I’ve been wanting to write on this topic for a while now, and I’m very excited to begin. I realize that my perspective and understanding may change somewhat over the next month, year, and decade. But for now, this is what I know, what I have experienced, and what I have heard. I will be releasing this writing in pieces, over the course of the next several months.

I hope, above all else, that this will bring curiosity, encouragement, hope, clarity, and an invitation to seek true, lasting change. 

Do men change? Can a man really change?

I’ve heard both of these questions answered “no”, and “yes”.

In writing on this, I want to:

• Present evidence for the reality that some men do change, and change dramatically for the best
• To argue that men are actually changing, every day (for better or worse)
• To present different perspectives on how men change, including societal, research-based, spiritual, testimonies, and personal experience

I hope to gently provide support to say that, “YES”, men CAN change (for the better), men NEED change, and men DO change.  

The change that I focus on here is positive, right, lasting, fruitful and beneficial change; it is not merely behavioral change, but it is a true shift of the inward man, of the HEART, towards what is good and right.

I will reason that it is not possible for a man to produce this kind of change alone or solely on his own effort; and that a true inward shift (HEART change) is only produced through something far greater and more powerful than himself, and he will have to look outside of himself to find this.  

I will reason that for a man’s heart to truly change, he will have to “lower” himself to a place where he realizes and acknowledges that he needs this kind of change, and realizes that he CANNOT do this by his own strength. He will have to surrender.

And, I will reason that all attempts and efforts to change, without GOD will ultimately fall short, fail in performance, and even, in some cases, lead to a worse condition than the start.

No matter where you stand on faith or beliefs, I hope you will find this insightful, informative, and inviting, and that you will share your input.

Introduction

“There’s a way that seems right to a man, ‘Til he’s in over head, and he don’t understand, All the plans he made, it only led him astray…” -Josh Garrels, Morning Light

Men, we are moving.

We are moving each day. Towards or away. Towards what is good, and right; what is the best plan and path for our life; or away from it. Towards the man we were designed to be, or away from that man. 

We are changing. 

This is not a passive process. We don’t simply “remain”. We are either actively moving and changing into a new man, a better man, the man we are called to be, and heading towards what is right and best, or we are drifting into complacency, apathy, laziness, or at worst, evil.

The title of my writing, “How Men Change”, has an underlying implication that change IS already happening, whether a man realizes or acknowledges it.  

Which direction are you moving and changing towards?