Man Up Before It's Too Late

Some doors only swing one way. You tell yourself you'll make it up later — later, when the deal is closed, when the busy season ends, when the kids are older. But some windows close for good.

Chris works through Proverbs 2:19 and one of the most sobering phrases in the chapter: "None who go to her return." Not most. Not few. None. The adulterous woman here is a symbol: she represents every path that promises pleasure and ease without the cost of doing things the right way. She's the embodiment of the shortcut. And Solomon's warning is stark: every shortcut has a point of no return, and the time to turn around is before you reach it.

God can redeem anything, but some consequences we live with permanently, even after we're forgiven. The father who keeps telling himself he'll make it up to his kids eventually finds the window has closed and they're grown. The husband who erodes trust through small deceptions finds the foundation quietly crumbled. An oak tree takes decades to grow and a few hours to cut down. You don't get to choose the consequences of your choices — only the choices themselves.

Verse of the Day: Proverbs 2:19

Your Daily Man-Up Challenge

Ask yourself honestly — is there a path I'm on right now that I know is heading somewhere I don't want to end up? Name it. Then turn around today, before the point of no return. Don't wait for the weekend. Make the U-turn right here, right now.

NEW TO THE MEN’S MORNING DEVOTIONAL? 

Welcome!

The Men's Morning Devotional is a podcast to help you man up in every way - in your faith, your family and your work - by spending a few minutes getting into the Word before you face the world. 

Every weekday, you'll get a challenge and encouragement from Scripture that speaks to the pressures you carry as a husband, a father, and a leader. You’ll get truth you can take straight into your day. And you’ll know you’re not standing alone, because men everywhere are waking up to fight the same battle.

Your hosts are Steve Alessi, pastor of Metro Life Church of Miami, FL, along with his sons and other leaders of our Goodfellas men's ministry.

Join us every weekday to man up! 

MORE PODCASTS YOU'LL ENJOY

Find more podcasts about faith and family from Metro Life Studios, including:

My Morning Devotional

The Family Business with The Alessis

The Mary and Martha Show 

You can listen to all of these shows on our Metro Life Studios app here! 

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:01

Gentlemen, every day is a battle. A battle for your faith, your family, and your purpose. The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives. They prepare before it begins. Welcome to the men's morning devotional. Let's get into God's word. It's time to man up.

Chris Alessi 0:24

It's Thursday, day four of week seven of our men's morning devotional. My name is Chris Alesi, and I'm really glad you're joining and you're listening today, that you've stayed with us this week because we're really getting somewhere worth going, like we talked about yesterday. Here's our man-up moment for the day, and it's really founded out of Proverbs 2.19. But here's our man-up moment. Every shortcut has a point of no return. The time to turn around is before you reach it. So now let's look at the verse that we're talking about today. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Let's look at some further context. It says that wisdom in verse 16 will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. And then it says some more things, and that's where we get to 19. None who go to her return. Now, before we go any further, I want to make sure we understand what Solomon is saying and what he isn't saying. On the surface, it may seem specific about an adulterous woman and the man that goes to her. And that is an absolutely real warning for another podcast. But this isn't a reference to the sexual unfaithfulness that it seems to reference at the top. It's much more serious, actually. Solomon is painting a picture that goes beyond one specific area of sin. The adulterous woman in the book of Proverbs is a symbol. She represents every path that promises pleasure, ease, and satisfaction without the cost of doing things the right way. She is the embodiment of a shortcut. She's the offer that looks good in the moment and only reveals its true price once you're already inside of her house. And that's when Solomon drops a very alarming phrase in the whole chapter. And I know it's probably hard to feel like you're going to be super encouraged by this this morning, but but stick with me here because he says, none who go to her return. Not most don't, or few none. That's an absolute statement. And here's what this means. For some paths, once you've gone down far enough, they don't give you back what you had before you chose to take that road. Some shortcuts carry a cost you can't ever repay or ever get back. Some losses can't be fully recovered. Not because God can't redeem, trust me, he can and he does, and I know in your life you're already living in the redemption of God. But some areas have certain consequences that we will live with permanently, even after being forgiven. If we want to look at it practically, a man that spends years cutting corners with his kids tells him, okay, eventually I'll make it up to them. But that window closes and they are grown. I heard a crazy stat that by the time your son is 18 years old, you've spent 90% of the time you're going to spend with him. We don't get those moments back. As a father of young sons, that hits me hard. I'm living right now in the 90% of the time that I will get to spend with him. You know, the man who erodes trust with his wife through small deceptions tells himself it's not that big of a deal, other men are doing it worse, he'll get it right eventually. Eventually, he arrives and finds out that the foundation has quietly crumbled in a way that'll take years to rebuild. Basically, here's a metaphor for you. An oak tree will take decades to grow and a few hours to cut down. That's why the principled man doesn't wait until the consequences are visible to make the right call, to turn around, to go back. He makes it now, today, before the point of no return. Men, guard your marriage now, not after more weeks, months, or years of drift. Show up for your families now, even in the busy season of work. Today, right here, right now. Don't wait for the weekend. Do it here on Thursday. Protect your integrity now, not later. Protect who you are today. Because the principled man understands something that the shortcut man hasn't accepted yet. You don't get to choose the consequences of your choices. You only get to choose the choices. If you're on a crooked path right now, hear me. Today's the day to turn around. Get it right today, before the point of no return. In the words of this podcast, man up and turn around while it's still possible. Here's your man up challenge today. Ask yourself honestly: is there a path I'm on right now that I know is heading somewhere I don't want to end up? And once you do that, once you figure that area out, turn around today. Let's pray. Father, we don't want to be men who go far down the wrong path before we realize we've already lost what matters most. Give us the courage to be honest with ourselves right here and to write what's wrong, to head in the right direction, to turn around, to make that U-turn right here, right now. Give us the grace right now to make the adjustment and to get on the right path. In Jesus' name, amen.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

All right, gentlemen, you've heard God's word. Now go live it. Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do. Share this devotional with another brother. Remember, every day is another opportunity to man up.