Man Up Jon...

Ok. This will be painful to admit, but this last week I watched the season premiere of Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Now mind you, I don't normally watch this show. I promise you. I may have watched 10 minutes of 1 episode before Sunday night. However, with all the news plastered all over the place of Jon and Kate's recent problems, I was interested to see how it was going to be handled on the air. It was one of the saddest experiences I had ever seen.

Most of you probably know that Jon Gosselin is rumored to have had an affair recently. He denies it, but does admit to "making some mistakes." I watched as Kate and Jon were interviewed separately throughout the program instead of the usual together on the couch. Most of the conversation had little to do with the eight children and mostly to do with how they were handling each other.

Here's my problem with what's going on: First, Jon says this really isn't what he wanted with this reality gig. Evidently, he's having a hard time keeping up with the public scrutiny. Waaa! That's what happens when you put your family on the air to profit from them. If you can't handle it and it's tearing up your family, then find a way out of the contract dude. Second, when both Jon and Kate were asked where they were in the relationship, Kate responded she was there but Jon said he was "here for the kids." Come on! For the kids? Do you really think that what the kids need is a dad who isn't around when the spotlight is on and only comes around to tolerate his wife? Were the kids on your mind when you were photographed with that 23 yr. old in the car? Were you there for the kids too?

You know what your kids need Jon? They need a father who models for them what a man really is like. They need a man who will stand in the gap for his family and not dessert them just to please himself. You've got three boys who need a father to lead them through the difficult landmines of life that await them in the coming years. They need to know you can lead them through how to have a relationship with a woman based on integrity. They need a dad who can admit his mistakes and still place his family first. You have 5 girls who need a model for what they need to look for in a man. They need to see a father who loves their mother with all his heart, no matter how difficult the home may be. Your girls will get their model for a husband from you Jon. What are you going to show them?

Also, I heard several years ago about how Jon and Kate were Christians and the place of spirituality held in their family. Now, that may well be true. As Christians, we are no less immune to problems in our home, especially when that home has the child dynamics of the Gosselin household. However, it's time that Jon and Kate moved past being Christians and instead became Christ-followers who went back to the center of their relationship. It's time they focused more on God and His Word in their relationship. It's time they hit their knees in repentance and prayed for the brokenness of their relationship to be restored. It will take unconditional love and a heart that has been broken before they will survive.

It's time to Man Up Jon! You are failing your family. You are failing your wife. You are failing your children. You are a perfect picture right now of what's wrong in our culture with men today. Today's man is a perfect picture of passivity and selfishness. Today's man is confused and wandering. Too many men, including Jon, have sacrificed their families on the altar of personal fulfillment and happiness. It's time to man up and take your family back from the enemy. Your wife and kids are far too important. You stood on an altar and made a vow to your wife and to God. Vows may not mean much to us, but God takes them very seriously. If you really believe, Jon, that your life would be better apart from this family, I would have several guys that I know who would beg to differ with you. Take your family back. Don't let another opportunity arise for your daughter to say "When are you coming back daddy? Why do you have to leave?"

Men. It's time to take back our families. It's time to go to the Jon Gosselin's of the world and help them before they lose another family. It's time to hit our knees for our families and the families of our brothers-in-arms in the church. I am not trying to be critical of Jon. My heart breaks for him and his family. I am praying that at the end of the day, we will see a restoration of his family. I am sure that the media scrutiny will be so much that restoration will be unlikely. However, our God is faithful. If we seek him and honor him, he will lift us up. Jon and Kate, you can make it. It will take more out of you than you know. But if you are willing to pay the price, you can make it.