Are All Men Slobs?

It’s true. Some men are slobs. But is there really anything manly about it?

This week my wife, Nancy, and I were in Ohio working on restoring our rental home back to the immaculate condition it was in prior to renting the house for the past year. Needless to say, the three young men renting the house did not keep the house clean and orderly despite having excellent references. The house was left very dirty, with trash inside and broken tree limbs littering the lawn outside.

Most of us have heard the old saying, “Men are slobs.” Of course, you can’t categorize a group by the actions of just a few in the group. But if I were judging by the three guys who just vacated my house, I might consider that saying true! But why would anyone have the reputation of being a slob? Shouldn’t we be neat, clean and orderly just out of common decency?

What about respecting the property of others? I was always taught that when you use or rent someone else’s property, you should return it to them in the same or better condition than you found it. My experience makes me believe that concept needs to be reinforced.

What’s macho about being a slob?

Perhaps we should ask: What’s masculine or macho about leaving a rental home or even your own home unclean and trashy? Is it okay to be lazy and careless because you’re a guy? Actually, we should set the example of high standards of cleanliness and quality. We have a role model in the person of Jesus Christ who was the embodiment of masculinity and quality in every detail.

Christ explained in John 6 that He is the “bread of life” and we must partake of that bread. In other words, we take on His nature and characteristics. If we consider ourselves Christians, then we know we must live like Christ—the very definition of Christian.

The apostle Paul explains this clearly in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith [of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Therefore, if Christ is living in us, we must be like Him in every way, including His standards of excellence in everything we do. Paul further clarifies this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [which] is in you, [which] you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Inspection time

When I entered my rental home in Ohio after my renters left, I was shocked at the dirty and trashy condition of my home. I was offended by the disrespect shown to my property. How does our Spiritual Landlord view the way we are keeping His home clean and orderly? Perhaps an inspection is in order.

To help you with that, why not take some time and listen to some of our ministers speak on this subject? To help you understand more about what living like Christ is all about, listen to “Becoming More Christ-Like” (March 12, 2011) and “Bought With a Price” (March 26, 2011). Both of these sermons can be found on our Media page: http://cogwa.org/media. Scroll down to find the date and sermon title.

You can find these and many more helpful sermons to guide you on your path to becoming more like Jesus Christ in every aspect of your life. Jesus Christ was certainly no “slob,” but rather a Man of character and quality. Let’s use His example in our daily lives and prove that not “all” men are slobs!

 

Ron Kelley and his wife, Nancy, live in Mocksville, North Carolina, where he serves as the pastor for three congregations of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.