Catholic Husband

Love / Lead / Serve

Be Responsible

The era of immaturity is dead.

As men, we get to enjoy the benefits of manhood. We can drink, buy guns, and stay out as late as we want. At the same time, we must accept the responsibility that manhood brings.

Alison has shared with me far too many stories from the hospital maternity ward of men who are shirking the responsibilities of fatherhood just as it’s beginning. It’s sad and it’s wrong.

As we grow older, we gain more responsibility. For some reason, we’ve equated responsibility with something negative. We think it’s boring, dull, or stupid.

Responsibility isn’t any of those things.

Responsibility is:

  • Being a man. We have the duty to defend the defenseless. We have the duty to model good citizenship to those around us. We have the duty to meet the obligations that we have. This is the essence of man.
  • Meeting the needs of your wife. Your wife has spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental needs. While we aren’t created to solely meet all of her needs, we are called to either meet them or help her find ways to meet them. We can’t abandon her under any circumstances.
  • Putting yourself last. A real man knows that his needs, wants, and desires come last in his household. We are made to provide. We are made to serve. We are not made to be the center of our own universe.

You’ve made commitments, so honor them.