Being courageous

There are two major "parts" of each of us which make up who we are. We have a body/clay tabernacle/biological collection of molecules which is ordered by chemicals/hormones and blood. That part of us feels temperature, exhaustion, rage, pain, fear, and euphoria to name just a few. We also have a spirit/soul/God-seed/conscience which is ordered by thought/intention/choice. Remember the old cartoons with the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on the other, both whispering in some confused character's ear? The reason one is characterized as devil and the other angel is because we have opposing impulses, one basically good and the other basically bad. Our body, or natural man as it is referred to in the scriptures, responds to very self-centered motivations. If we are hungry we eat, sometimes too much simply because we crave the taste. If we are angry, we lash out with words or actions which may harm someone even to the point of being fatal because we don't control the anger. If we don't motivate our body, we can be very lazy and subject to inertia because our body would rather just rest and be "comfortable". The spirit part of us is not nearly as loud and insistent as the body, especially if we tend to ignore it. We have a conscience that pricks us a little when we are about to tell a lie or when we are grabbing for that second piece of cake. It doesn't shout or force us so it's pretty easy to just shut it out. That "still, small voice" (as it is called in the scriptures) is the part of us that we inherited from the God in whose image we were created. It is the part we can choose to develop in order to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven"..... or not. We can choose to remain immersed in the chaos of appetites, passions, and influences that totally overwhelm the whisperings of our potential to be like our Father or our Brother, Jesus.
Last night Russ and I watched an excellent movie, thanks to our daughter Angela's thoughtful birthday gift. As I have thought about the movie, I have imagined various people that I love watching the movie and reacting to it. The movie, entitled "Courageous", has to do with the purposeful decision on the part of a group of men to resolve to be involved fathers- not just hunters or gatherers, not just providers and disciplinarians. So often a man feels that being a father consists of not letting his children starve to death or go naked or get beaten; and being a "good" father means providing their kids with all the toys they want. I wondered about the influence the movie might have on those who would choose to go to watch it. The movie could make it "popular" for men to be involved in the lives of their children to the point of teaching them and encouraging them in many positive ways to be honest, hard-working, faithful, sincere men. That led me to think about what "popular" means. Unfortunately, most of the time, "popular" means appealing to that natural man part of us, because it's louder and more easily accessible, more tempting. Why would a man want to move out of his "comfort zone" by speaking to others, even his own children, about feelings, goodness, service to others? Don't men usually prefer to discuss sports, weather, politics,etc. in traditionally loud, boisterous fashion?
I fully support those who are trying to make righteousness "popular". I would so love to live in a society of people who don't have to be afraid because no-one would harm anyone else. I would so love to live in a society of people who are forgiving and caring toward one another. Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely that the world in general has the inner strength to control that natural man tendency to anger, greed, slothfulness, and lust. But I am ever grateful for others, like me, who want to go beyond a vague awareness of good, who want to go beyond even just an acknowledgement of the existence of Jesus Christ as a Savior and Mediator for all of mankind. I am grateful for those who seek to become like Him and encourage others to do the same.