In 2018, PURSUE G.R.O.W.T.H. and don’t do things the same way. Make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. You are very important. Strive to be that man.

1. Be the Man in 2018 and Pursue G.R.O.W.T.H.
Many men are confused and insecure. Many do not know how to act in the home and in the
society. Growing up, they lacked a good model for leadership and have no mental picture of
what it means to lead a family. Consequently, they do not lead effectively, or they do not
even try.
Learning to be a man is a constant work-in-progress. Whenever you think you’re done
learning, you’re just fooling yourself. You can make use of the lessons you have learnt in the
past by making them relevant in 2018. You don’t need to fear. Be the man.
Pursue G.R.O.W.T.H.
1. G-Gritty. In 2018 you must be prepared to face dangers in all that you need. You
must take risk in life if you are ever to succeed. Grow to have resilience that comes
from walking through fire and wrapping up your burns and going at it again. Life will
test your resiliency. You must face it without wavering. The man in you must come
out and face the consequences of your decision. A man is never completely,
thoroughly ready to accept the realities in life like being a dad. A man is never ready
to face difficult situations in his life but he has to be gritty and try his best to endure,
and keep his spirit alive.
2. R- Responsible. There is an assumption that men are not ready to take up their
enormous responsibilities upon their shoulders. Life seems to be very unfair. Life
moves too quickly to wait around for you to do something, anything! So, don’t make
life wait around; decide now what you want and take charge of your life so you can
find the happiness you seek. Taking responsibility initiates a change in your life; you
need to stop with the excuses and make it happen. Most of us are stuck in the role of
the victim, blaming everything and everyone but ourselves for what is and what is not
happening for us. Our life is the result of the person that we have become. Things
won’t change unless you change how you do things.
If you were attracted to a woman and then in the course of your relationship a baby is
born, please, please take up the responsibility of bringing up this child. We have very
many single mums in our country because men were never ready to be daddies.
3. O-Openness. Opening your heart to others is an enormous risk. You can be wounded
deeply or misunderstood. But it is one of the biggest qualities needed in building trust
with people. Leading with an open heart is a powerful leadership act that greatly
multiplies influence. Most people still expect men to be quiet with their feelings, and
sterile with their wounds. To be a man is to show no quivering, no self-doubt.
The notion that just because you are a man you are no longer prone to human emotion
is ridiculous. A real man embraces everything that he is, especially during the most
vulnerable times. He sets an example for everybody by showing up without pretence.
Do all your deals openly and you will gain the trust of those around you. Men are
motivated by open-minded people; those willing to serve their fellow men without
holding anything back.

2. 4. W-Work. What you decide to do with your life matters. In other words, your work
matters. You can’t sit down and expect results. You have to work. In 2018, your work
is important. Excellence is the product of hard work. It is not just a concept, but a
pattern of life which should be expressed by all men.
There are very many complaints from our women and the society at large that some
men have become very lazy and that they don’t want to work. They are depending on
their wives for a living. This is seriously wrong. Every man ought to work and eat
from his labour. You cannot sit and expect to be taken care of in all areas of life.
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he
shall not eat." (NIV) 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
5. T- Thoughtfulness. The question to ask is: Is there a simple, effective way that you
could turn your life around and make things finally start going your way? It all starts
with your thought life. Change your thinking, change your life.
Thoughtfulness assists in taking decisions that you have thought over and over, the
kind that reminds you of your place in this world. Thoughts are real things. Every
thought builds memories. We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. It
is a matter of personal choice. Who we are today is the result of choices we made
yesterday. Tomorrow, we will become what we choose today. To change means to
choose to change.
When you change your thought, your mind also changes its shape. Many
modifications continually arise in the mind. Your thoughts rapidly change. Your mind
also changes its shape rapidly.
Thought creates. You can work wonders with the power of thought. Through the
instrumentality of thought, you acquire creative power.
6. H-Humility. You may think that you know everything just to be humbled when you
realize that you don’t have all the answers. It strikes us when we look within and find
a gap. We either embrace that gap and do something about it, or ignore it out of sheer
pride. A real man is never afraid to say, I don’t know and desires to be taught. All
males are ignorant of one thing or another, but being humble enough to learn is what
separates the men from the boys.
James 4:10; ‘Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up’.
Finally: In 2018, PURSUE G.R.O.W.T.H. and don’t do things the same way. Make a
difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. You are very important. Strive to
be that man.