Eric Ludy - Gods Gift to Women: Discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity

GODS GIFT TO WOMEN
published by Multnomah Books

Published in association with Loyal Arts Literary Agency, LoyalArts.com

2003 by Winston and Brooks, Inc.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version Bible 1946, 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Other Scripture quotations are from:

The Holy Bible, New International Version ( NIV ) 1973, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version ( NKJV ) 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

M ULTNOMAH and its mountain colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission.

For information:
MULTNOMAH BOOKS
12265 ORACLE BOULEVARD, SUITE 200 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80921
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ludy, Eric.
Gods gift to women / by Eric Ludy.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-56421-4
1. Young menReligious life. 2. MasculinityReligious aspects
Christianity. 3. Man-woman relationshipsReligious aspectsChristianity.
I. Title.

BV4541.3.L83 2003
248.832dc22
2003014365

v3.1

To my sweet Leslie,
may I be to you everything written here.

wonder how many people will pick up this book, turn it over and look at my face on the back cover, and mutter, If that is Gods gift to women, then I feel sorry for femininity! First, let me assure you that just because my name appears under the title and my picture is on the book, I am in no way claiming to be Gods gift to women. In fact, I have always felt like quite the opposite. I recall a recurring nightmare in which I am ushered out in front of an enormous mob of scrutinizing females. They carefully look me over like a grocer examining a new supply of tomatoes. Then with one voice they cry out in disgust, Sick!

What kind of guy comes up with a lightning-rod title like Gods Gift to Women? Not a very smart one! After all, the title has male ego written all over it. The fact that it was finally chosen as the title is ironic, because this book couldnt be further removed from stereotypical male arrogance. I would even go so far as to say that the message is the polar opposite of male superiority. Its a kiss on femininitys cheek. The book is written for men, but the message is truly designed to be a gift to womanhood.

I am a huge fan of femininity. Right before I started writing this book, I spent seven months assisting my wife, Leslie, in writing her book on femininity, Authentic Beauty. At one point along the way I became so excited about why and how God designed women that I stood up in a coffee shop and blurted out, This is so amazing for us women to hear!

I took a break from Leslies book at that point, went straight to the gym, and didnt shave for a couple weeks to prove to myself that I could still grow facial hair.

But the long and short of it is, Im not a guy thats all hyped about grunting and giving off foul odors. Im a guy that is passionate about men being true men. And Im convinced that true manhood, polished by the hand of God, is nothing short of an awe-inspiring gift to womanhood.

Contrary to the vibe that a title like Gods Gift to Women gives off, this book is not merely about how men can more effectively relate to women. I believe that we, as men, can never hope to become a gift to women until we understand and accept a complete vision of Christ-built manhood.

We live in a generation of burpin-and-scratchin male mediocrity. Most modern-day examples of manhood are self-serving, perverted, and depraved. And we are accepting this second-rate version of masculinity into our marriages, our families, and our lives. I believe we need a new standard for masculinitya standard that is not shaped by our culture, but by the very person of Jesus Christ. That standard is the core of this books message.

If you were hoping for a book about relating to women, dont worrythat subject is covered thoroughly in the upcoming pages. But to learn to effectively relate to women, we must first learn to effectively relate to the Creator of womenJesus Christ. We must learn the world-altering secrets of Christ-built manhood.

Manhood is a gargantuan topic. To cover it entirely is like trying to de-weed the potato fields of southern Idaho. This book does not pretend to be exhaustive on the subject of masculinity. The adventure of world-altering manhood goes far beyond the dirt trail provided in the pages of this simple book. This book offers but a starting point, the egg from which greatness is hatched. For those who want to go deeper and understand the biblical roots of this message, a biblical study guide is available on our website at www.ericandleslie.com/warriorpoet.

Now as we set out to explore Gods spectacular design for manhood, I invite you to join me on the journey. This book is a sports coupe with two seatsI sit in one seat, and the second seat is crafted to perfectly fit a young man. If you are not a young man, you are certainly welcome to join me on this journey. The ride may not be as comfortable, due to the fact that this message was not designed with you in mind. However, Im confident that you will find the adventure both satisfying and exhilarating.