breaking the spartans

Watched 300 the other night, not a particularly good film, overly sexual, non historical, it passed the time is about as much as I can say. I always loved the story of the 300 spartans at Thermopylae (probably spelt it wrong though), born warriors, standing against an unforgiving hoard, to try to gain time for the rest of the helenic nations to get their act together. I could probably write something about a people unwilling to bow down to a false God, a people ready to die for what they believe in, even when the odds are against you, still believe, and I don't think there have ever been worse odds. BUT...

You know what struck me........These big, guys, warriors unwilling to submit, unwilling to surrender, unwilling to be broken. I don't think it would have done the Spartans any good to submit in reality, but I really feel this is a huge problem today, especially with men.

I'm a big guy, you can probably see from different photos, I think I'm a hard man, but I'm not, I can be very intimidating, I know. I did not gain any thing from being the big hard man, nobody gains from being the big hard man, you can put layer after layer of muscle or fat, in my case, or be strong and not show emotions, seperating yourself from the world will not save you from it, you can't hide in pubs or with drugs forever. Another woman, will just lead to another woman. What have you gained?

Have you seen, or maybe been to one of those AA meetings, where the guy or gal has to stand up and say their name and then admit I am an alcoholic.

What are they saying?

They are broken, they have nothing left to hide behind. It is only then can they start to build. Men like to put up every barrier they can to having the fullest life they can, for what? For image , to protect themselves, women do it to, maybe in different ways, we hide pretending we are strong while missing out.

I want to be strong for God, I want to be a spartan for him. I want to fight for him, defend God's word, be a warrior in prayer and action.

I cannot not be a Spartan for God, unless I am broken before him, unless I open up and bend that knee, accept Jesus as King over my life, let him in, submit. Once I am broken, he has set me free, to be a broken Spartan for him.

I know this is a bit preachy, but just felt a bit inspired, and Men especially just love to be hard, to be real MEN, when the hardness stops them from being real men.