{"id":22104,"date":"2024-11-23T00:01:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T08:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/?p=22104"},"modified":"2024-11-14T16:31:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T00:31:19","slug":"gumption-the-heart-of-a-real-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/gumption-the-heart-of-a-real-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Gumption – The Heart Of A Real Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>There is a major difference between being a male, a man, and a real man.<\/strong> The difference is measured in degrees, not titles, academic achievement, trophies, or assigned positions of authority. The real difference is easily recognized whenever one comes into contact with a real man. He is just different in a very positive way. There is a certain \u201csomething\u201d about a real man that is significantly different about them as compared with the attributes of just an ordinary run-of-the-mill male.<\/span><\/p>\n

One word I believe clearly defines what a real man possesses that regular (average) other men do not possess….A real man is filled with constant, all-of-the-time,…\u201cGumption,\u201d whereas average men do not possess this vital character trait.<\/strong> It is very important for you to realize that Gumption is developed.<\/strong> It is not passed through the gene pool of life…you are not born with it. It is caught more than taught.<\/strong> It is a \u201csecret weapon\u201d when competing against other males in the struggle for accomplishment, achievement, and significance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gumption is defined in the Webster\u2019s New World Dictionary of the English Language as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Shrewdness in practical matters; common sense.<\/span>
\n2. Courage and initiative; enterprise and boldness; the current sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

So gumption is a personal characteristic that a person shows and displays.<\/strong> He uses or exhibits shrewdness (street smarts) in all of his dealings while simultaneously living in the \u201cNow\u201d of life and its events,… always taking the initiative (first step) in boldly addressing the pending issues that require resolution. In other words, a Real Man leads the charge without reluctance, fear, or doubt. He is a take charge person and completes all that he starts.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

How do you, sir, stack up against that definition and description?<\/span>
\nWe don\u2019t hear much about gumption anymore in most of today\u2019s society. That truth is really too bad since we need it more than ever these days.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a child, I grew up on a daily dose of gumption. My U S Navy Chief earthly father drilled \u201cguts and gumption\u201d into each of we three children every day in all that we did or were given to do. Thank God I did not have a wimp for a Dad. Since it was infused into my life while I was still a child, I have endeavored to do the same to my three children. Oh I will tell you that many other males (and some females) criticize me for being too demanding and too tough on other people including my own family. I can only say that strength is built when strength is demanded and required.<\/strong> Life is tough. It is not fair. Living it to the fullest requires strength,…mental as well as physical. Such strength is built when it is fed a daily meal of gumption!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the greatest strengths and powers in life on earth is Father Power. Such power is derived from the male (Man) of the house. The man who is given charge by God Almighty to meet and fill all of his family\u2019s needs!<\/span><\/p>\n

Author, Robert Persig, had it totally right when he discussed what true gumption really represents. He stated:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like the word gumption because it\u2019s so homely and so forlorn and so out of style it looks as if it needs a friend and isn\u2019t likely to reject anyone who comes along. It\u2019s an old Scottish word, once used a lot by pioneers, but…seems to have all but dropped out of use…<\/span><\/p>\n

A person filled with gumption doesn\u2019t sit around dissipating and stewing about things. He\u2019s at the front of the train of his own awareness, watching to see what\u2019s up the track and meeting it when it comes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Persig goes on with his discussion of gumption applying it to life itself. He masterfully hides his comment behind the word picture of repairing a motorcycle:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are going to repair a motorcycle, an adequate supply of gumption is the first and most important tool. If you haven\u2019t got that you might as well gather up all the other tools and put them away, because they won\u2019t do you any good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gumption is the psychic gasoline that keeps the whole thing going.<\/strong> If you haven\u2019t got it, there\u2019s no way the motorcycle can possibly be fixed. But if you have got it and know how to keep it, there\u2019s absolutely no way in the whole world that motorcycle can keep from getting fixed. It\u2019s bound to happen. Therefore the thing that must be monitored at all times and preserved before anything else,…is gumption.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is a real shame that the old word, Gumption<\/strong>, has dropped through the cracks, especially since quitting is now more popular than is finishing. I agree with Mr. Persig, who would like to start a whole new academic field on the subject. Of course, one must always keep in mind that gumption will never actually be taught. It is just one of those things that is better caught. Gumption is a personal character trait. It is woven subtly into the fabric of a person\u2019s life that few ever stop and identify it.<\/strong> It is hidden like the steel rebar in huge concrete columns supporting multi-lane freeways. Although while gumption may be hidden, it is an important tool for getting a job done…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Gumption enables us to save money rather than to spend every dime we make. It keeps us working at a hard task, like building a tedious model or completing and finishing an add-on or makeover or practicing piano or losing weight–and keeping it lost–or reading the Bible all the way through in a year\u2019s time. Most people receive a little gumption in their \u201cbirth tool box,\u201d but it is a tool that gathers rust very quickly. Permit me to give you five easy remedies for renewing your own power wrench of personal gumption:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Gumption begins with a firm commitment.<\/strong> Daniel \u201cmade up his mind\u201d ( Dan 1 : 8 ) long before he was dumped into a Babylonian labor camp. Joshua didn\u2019t hesitate to declare his commitment in his famous <\/span>\u201cas for me and my house\u201d speech ( Josh 24 : 15 ) before the Israelis. <\/span>Isaiah says he \u201cset his face like flint\u201d ( Is 50 : 7 ), which really says he <\/span>firmly decided. Instead of starting with a bang, it is human nature to <\/span>ponder, to rethink, to fiddle around with an idea until it is awash with <\/span>slime and the stagnant water putrid plant growth known as <\/span>indefiniteness of purpose. There is an old recipe for a rabbit dish that<\/span>
\nstarts out, \u201cFirst, catch the rabbit.\u201d That always puts first things first. <\/span>No rabbit, no dish. If you truly want your gumption to continue <\/strong><\/span>through to the end? Start strong!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Gumption means being disciplined one day at a time.<\/strong> Rather <\/span>than focusing on trying to swallow the whole enchilada, take it in small <\/span>bite-sized chunks. Taking in the whole of any objective, dream, or goal <\/span>in one fell swoop can overwhelm even the most courageous warriors. <\/span>Writing a book? Do so one page at a time. Trying to master a new <\/span>language? Try one word at a time. There are 365 days in the average <\/span>year. Divide any project by 365 and none of them will then seem all <\/span>that intimidating, will they? To master any plan or project, it will <\/strong><\/span>take daily discipline…just as discussed in Proverbs 19 : 27,…<\/span><\/strong>not annual discipline<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Gumption includes being alert to subtle temptations.<\/strong> Robert <\/span>Persig, as referenced above, discussed our being at the front <\/span>of the train of our own awareness, looking up the track and being ready <\/span>to meet whatever comes. Gumption plans ahead…watching out <\/strong><\/span>for associations that may weaken us ( Prov 13 : 20 ), <\/span>procrastination that steals from us (Prov 24 : 30–34) and <\/span>rationalizations that lie to us ( Prov 13 : 4; 25 : 28 ). People <\/span><\/strong>who achieve their personal goals always stay alert.<\/strong> Satan, our <\/span>adversary, is a master strategist, forever fogging up our minds with <\/span>smoke screens, which \u201cthicken\u201d our senses. If it were possible for God <\/span>to die and He died this morning, some people wouldn\u2019t know it for three <\/span>or four days. Gumption stabs us awake, and keeps us wide-eyed and <\/span>ready to perform at the snap of a finger or the drop of a hat.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Gumption requires the encouragement of accountability.<\/strong> Most <\/span>people–especially close personal friends–keep our tanks pumped full of <\/span>enthusiasm. They communicate \u201cYou can do it, you can make it\u201d in a <\/span>dozen different ways. At David\u2019s lowest point, Jonathan stepped in. <\/span>Right when Elijah was ready to give up,…to cash in everything,..along <\/span>came Elisha. With Paul was Timothy…or Silas or Barnabas or Dr. Luke. <\/span>People need other people<\/strong>, which is why Solomon came on so strong <\/span>about iron sharpening iron ( Prov 27 : 17 ).<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Gumption comes more easily when we remember that <\/span><\/strong>finishing has its own unique rewards.<\/strong> Jesus told the Father He <\/span>\u201caccomplished\u201d His assignment ( John 17 : 4 ). On more than one <\/span>occasion Paul referred to \u201cfinishing the course\u201d ( Acts 20 : 24; <\/span>2 Timothy 4 : 7 ). Those who only start projects never know the surge <\/span>of satisfaction that comes with slapping hands together, wiping away <\/span>those beads of perspiration, and saying that beautiful four-letter word, <\/span>Done! Desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The single most important quest in any person\u2019s life is the desire to have the character of Christ formed within you!<\/strong> I certainly hope and pray you are under way to achieve that very thing. If your journey seems extra long today, look for, find, and then enjoy a gust of wind at your back from these words out of the Living Bible. It is one of those grab-you-by-the scruff-of-the-neck and shake-you-up Scriptures:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don\u2019t get discouraged and quit.\u201d<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Galatians 6 : 9<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Be a Real Man And Always Act Like One…………………<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a major difference between being a male, a man, and a real man. The difference is measured in degrees, not titles, academic achievement, trophies, or assigned positions of authority. The real difference is easily recognized whenever one comes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-manhood"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22104"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22106,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22104\/revisions\/22106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}