A man that has been raised in a strict Pentecostal family is married to his wife that has just recently given birth to a baby boy. From the outside, it appears that this couple’s life together is perfect, but as we all know, you should never judge a book by its cover.
The man is aware of some deep intrinsic dissatisfactions about his life that he can not quite pinpoint. In fact, he has been seeing a therapist for his troubles and has also been taking testosterone injections prescribed by his doctor (for troubles in the bedroom). His wife is worried, she believes he has been struggling with some kind of mental health issue. However, his therapy has revealed something far scarier.
The man’s therapist suggests that a lot of his trouble appears to be coming from his relationship with his wife. A few weeks later, the man has an unexpected interaction with a gay man that he appears to have an attraction to. The man has had similar feelings about men in the past but has dismissed these feelings because this behavior is obviously wrong. However, the man seriously starts to contemplate if he may actually be gay.
The man starts to wonder if he may be possessed by the devil. He also has the thought that maybe God is testing him to see if he will succumb to the temptation of another man. He doesn’t understand, how could God be doing this to him? He feels like he has done everything he has been pressured to do by his family, society, and God. He got married, had a family, and did all of the things he was supposed to do. Why was he being punished?
He didn’t want to be ostracized by his family and friends. What would all of this mean for his poor wife and child?
Unfortunately, this story is real. I bet you can guess how this story ends.
How truthful are you being with yourself? Are you living the life YOU really want to be living? How much of your behavior is a result of the influences and pressures coming from the culture you find yourself in? Why do you believe the things that you do? How much of your life have you actually questioned? Do you ever wonder why things are the way that they are? Will life always be the way it is now… just because that is what people in your culture have taught you?
I want you to think about who you are, how you actually work, what you really want out of life, and why life currently works the way it does.
