A Man of No Repute

There are three types of men in this world: those that are envied, those that are ignored, and those that are despised. Thankfully, fortune has blessed me enough that I belong in the second tier. Wishful thinking should not be mine, yet every now and again I catch myself wondering, "What if? What if I was the star football player, the laid-back guitar player, the rapid-fire joke machine? What if I had some of that strange charm that other guys seem to have that allows them to attract women easily?"

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal..."

Yeah, right. That's never been true.

The unwritten law of high school seems to be thus: "If you play a sport, are liked by girls, make funny jokes, and have lots of friends, you're the most important person ever."

I'd say that if you put yourself in ridicule's way to help people, do your best (even if you don't succeed), compliment people when they're feeling down, laugh at others jokes (even when they're not funny), love God and align your life with that of Christ's (even if it's not what your "friends" like), then you're a hundred times more important than the aforementioned person.

But what irritates me the most is when people are either of these two personalities and they puff themselves up and pretend they're better than everyone else. In my opinion (be it as worthless as it is), the most important unwritten commandment that Jesus made to men was to be a humble servant to everyone. Notice that wherever Jesus went, He treated people with respect. Even the men that beat Him cruelly and stuck him on a cross, to them He showed no hostility. When faced with Pontus Pilate, the man who would condemn Him to death, He didn't treat him any different than He treated the people that He met on the roads. He was the epitome of chivalry, both to women and to men, a type of outlook that is lost on guys today.

If you are a guy, and you're reading this, then stop being a guy. Start being a man. A "guy" is a term for a person who thinks of himself as nothing special, just another person. A "man" is someone who is God's special creation, cherished and delighted in by the Maker. If you think of yourself as "nothing special", then you're going to start treating other people the same way. But if you think of yourself as a man made by God, then you have a responsibility before Him to give others the respect He gives you daily.

It shall eternally remain my pleasant duty to stand ready as your willing servant,

--JesusFreak