Committing suicide is the most extreme form of escaping from pain. Many men are in deep pain today. Among all age groups, male deaths by suicide outnumber female deaths by 4:1. The other most common suicide victims are divorced and/or estranged fathers. In fact, a divorced father is ten times more likely to commit suicide than a divorced mother, and three times more likely to commit suicide than a married father. We are experiencing a crisis of masculinity and manhood in our society today. In order to truly understand someone we need to understand their pain, fears and proclivities. Often when you see that someone’s behaviour is fear driven, you are not as intimidated by them. You understand where the apparent aggression is coming from. You begin to empathize with them and are able to minister to their wounds. In this message we will explore the fear of rejection that many men face today. We live in a society where men in general and fathers in particular are not allowed to be afraid. 2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. We experience God’s strength to the degree to which we are willing to acknowledge our weakness. Men have been socialized into internalizing their stress and never talking about it. As a result we have a lot of men today causing harm because they are overcompensating for their fears. Often this silence alienates them from their loved ones.
