By Chris Surber

This Mother’s Day weekend, I want to say a word to men: From their fathers, their husbands, their brothers and their sons, the thing women need most in their lives is courageous men.

A woman’s greatest treasure is a man of courage — a man who affirms, rather than tramples upon her worth. Today’s culture emasculates men, and women suffer the consequences.

Women don’t need more metrosexual, genteel males in their life. They need courageous men willing to love strongly, live boldly and stand strongly on principle.

I love the conversation between two brothers found in I Chronicles 19:12-13: “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD’s will be done.” (NLT)

Of course the context of this passage of the Bible is a literal war. But brothers, we are in a war as well. We are in a battle for the virtue and well being of our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and our wives. The onslaught against women in our culture couldn’t be more severe.

In the land of the free and the home of the brave, a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds. In the time it just took you to read this sentence, a daughter of the King of Kings was treated like a punching bag instead of a princess by an unprincipled boy lacking the courage to be a principled man.

According to domesticviolencestatistics.org, “Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime.”

The abuse and subjugation of women is a global problem. Here in Suffolk we are no exception.

Women don’t need more Casanovas objectifying them. What my daughter and women all across the globe need is men who are courageous enough to stand upon principle, men who help reinforce women’s deep spiritual and intellectual worth.

I like to imagine my sons speaking to one another about their mother and their sister the way Joab talked to his brother in I Chronicles 19, fighting to protect the virtue of their sister and their mother. I like to imagine these brothers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, fighting bravely for their city and its people on the principles that God has established.

We don’t need more males full of bluster and bravado. We need men with the courage to stand upon principle.

To learn more about the plight of women in our community visit www.thegenieveshelter.org or call the administrative office of the Genieve Shelter for women and children at 925-4365.

Chris Surber is pastor of Cypress Chapel Christian Church in Suffolk. Visit his website at www.chrissurber.com.