Lies Men Believe

Last year, I read a great book by Rachel Hollis called Girl, Wash Your Face. Although many Christians have never heard of the book, it has been on Christian bestseller lists since its release in 2018. One publication estimated the book's sales at over 1.5 million copies.

Although reviews have been mixed, a large group of women follow Hollis for her lifestyle blog and social media accounts. The book recounts lies women have been told that inhibit their ability to live their best lives. Most of the criticism of the book involves Hollis telling women that they have primary responsibility for their own happiness. Reviewers interpret this as diminishing the role of God as the CEO of the Christian's life. No arguing with that thought, but I'm not sure Hollis would disagree. Her point is that no one else is going to make your happiness their primary life concern.

In any case, the book inspired me to write my tome of advice for men. Although perhaps a much more upfront Christian book, I look at the bill of goods that men have bought into lately.

In our culture, there has been a war on masculinity since at least the 1960s. A national organization of some women wrongly confused diminishing the role of men as important to the cause of equal rights for women and girls. As the son of a Rosie the Riveter type who fought for everything she obtained as a person, I'm the last one to understate women's struggles for equity. My own mom had to argue with the bank to grant her a credit card in her own name without my father's permission. (Sounds crazy now, eh?) She was asked in a job interview to promise not to get pregnant if hired. For most of her career, mom made less per hour than the men who worked next to her. (They had a family to support, she was told.) No, I definitely know that women's rights were hard-won and delinquent in coming.

My beef is not with anything women are able to obtain. My focus is on men living out their own calling.

Exercise Your Faith (Defeating the Lies Men Believe) addresses 31 falsehoods that hamper a man's ability to live his best life. Here are just a few of the lies I dig into:

- Life is all about sex;

- Masculinity is toxic

- My truth beats your truth

- If my cause is noble, I can act like a dunderhead

- Anger has never been a problem for me

- Someone else will do it

- Lying is easier

The hardest thing about writing this book: I needed to get honest about the lies that dominated my life at one time or another. This definitely is not a book for the squeamish or those easily offended by graphic descriptions. Just as the Bible is graphic about certain subjects, I felt compelled to be specific about certain challenging areas for men (and the women who love them.)

My hope is that many men and women will read the book and hear God's wisdom about each of these issues. While I tried not to overwhelm readers with Scripture, particularly since I'm hoping many non-believers will read the book, there is definitely a trail of Bible references and verses that will lead the curious to the only One with all the answers.

As folks on my mailing list, I hope you will pray that this book meets needs, represents the faith well, and gets into the hands of those who will be helped by it. Exercise Your Faith is scheduled for release on February 1 on-line and in select bookstores. If yours doesn't carry it, they can order it through Ingram Distribution. (They'll know what that is...)