It has been disappointing not to receive many responses to our series, “Returning Respect Back to Women.” While pondering this, I had to take a long look at myself and the results of this series in me. And then I thought I would check out another series, the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season ends on Sunday, with all 30 teams playing on the final day. Then the playoffs begin with the World Series concluding by early November.  Now that is the kind of series I can understand!

But honestly, I need not look much farther than my own nose to determine why our responses have been few. Helping men like myself move from their heads to their hearts is challenging. Why is this so hard? Do we even know what this looks like? When it comes to actually moving beyond my limiting beliefs and into the transformative power of heart-led action, empowered by the Holy Spirit, I’m more like a ballplayer without a glove.

Just think how often fear and control serve as the hidden forces that keep men like me stuck in their heads. These are deeply rooted in the human experience, especially for men who are taught to be the strong, stable figures in their families, churches, and communities. The very idea of trusting the Holy Spirit to lead each of us into the unknown, to act on God’s Word with boldness, triggers a natural instinct to “stay in control” and avoid the vulnerability that heart-led action requires.

As mainstream evangelical men, we may know in principle that transformative power lies in surrender.  However, actually surrendering control to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and act through each of us requires that we trust God’s purposes are far greater than any intellectual planning can bring about.

What does it look like for men to truly surrender their need for control in order to step out in faith and action? No one knows, because it is where the heart’s transformative power connects directly with the Holy Spirit’s power to guide us beyond what we know and into what God has in store for each of us.

I have been conditioned to rely on intellect, logic, and rules, which align with cultural norms of masculinity: strength, certainty, and self-reliance. But I am coming to discover that this safety is an illusion. God calls us to faith, not certainty—and that kind of living faith feels uncomfortable, even terrifying, because it means stepping into the unknown and trusting the Holy Spirit to guide the way.

The fear of being “found sinning against God” or failing in some way is deeply embedded in me. Instead of inspiring action, this fear can paralyze me:

• Fear of Vulnerability: Acting from the heart requires taking risks. It means admitting weakness, acknowledging dependence on God, and possibly facing criticism or misunderstanding. And at least for me, I dislike confrontation and strive to be understood.
• Fear of Failure: I worry I’ll get it wrong—that stepping out in faith will result in mistakes that could reflect poorly on me.
• Fear of Judgment: Some traditional teachings emphasize that any misstep will incur divine disapproval. But for me, it means finding disapproval from others — that is what makes me overly cautious and hesitant to act.

In my heart, I know these fears are not from God. God repeatedly reassures us that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) and that He equips those He calls (2 Timothy 1:7). The truth is, faithful action rooted in God’s word and guided by the Holy Spirit will never leave me alone or abandoned, when I stumble. But then, my head tells me that people will leave me alone or abandon me.

Here is the breakthrough for me, and perhaps for you as well. It is a liberating truth for Christian men to grasp and is that God’s Spirit is the source of our power, not our own strength or intellect. Operating from the heart means trusting the Spirit to:

1. Lead Us Into Action: When I internalize God’s word in my heart, the Spirit nudges me toward obedience. This often means taking steps I don’t fully understand but trusting that God’s purposes are at work. An example is Peter stepping out of the boat in Matthew 14:29. If I was Peter, my intellect would have said, “This is impossible,” but Peter’s heart, driven by faith, told him to trust Jesus.
2. Sustain Us Through Uncertainty: Acting from the heart means stepping into situations where we don’t have all the answers. The Spirit provides strength and discernment to navigate these unknowns, just as He empowered the early disciples to preach the gospel with boldness despite persecution.
3. Transform Our Character Through Action: Faithful action isn’t just about changing the world—it changes the individual. As I take steps of obedience, my trust in God deepens, my love grows, and my reliance on the Spirit reshapes my character.

This seven-day series is showing me that there is a cost to staying in the head. Let me tell you what I have been missing when I cling to head-based living:

• Stunted Faith: Although I may learn about God, I can never fully experience the power of His presence in action.

• Missed Opportunities: God presents men like me with opportunities for impact every day, but fear and being analytical keep us from taking action.

• Disconnected Relationships: Heart-based living fosters vulnerability, connection, and agape love—qualities essential for healthy relationships. Staying in the head limits my ability to build deep, meaningful connections.

So, here are some practical steps to move from head to heart. To make this shift from head to heart requires a clear, actionable framework to facilitate that transformation:

1. Normalize Uncertainty: Stepping out in faith doesn’t require full understanding—just obedience. Like Abraham, who went without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8), men like me can act on God’s Word even when the outcome is unclear.

1. Rely on God’s Promises: Let’s encourage each other to cling to verses that remind us of God’s power and faithfulness, such as:

1. • “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
   • “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

1. Reflect on the Outcomes: To build confidence in trusting the Spirit’s leading, recognize how God shows up when you take steps of faith.

1. Engage in Community: I encourage you to engage with others in the Catch to share your struggles and victories in moving from head to heart. Hearing others’ stories reinforces the truth that you’re not alone in this journey.

The key to overcoming the limiting beliefs fostered by traditional Christianity lies in reorienting men like me toward the relationship aspect of our faith rather than the rule-following aspect. Instead of being paralyzed by the fear of sinning against God, we need to:

• See God as a loving Father who delights in our obedience and forgives our missteps.
• Understand that acting in faith, even imperfectly, is more pleasing to God than staying in our heads out of fear.
• Recognize that the Holy Spirit is not a distant critic. The Spirit equips us to live boldly, extending grace when we fall and empowering us not to give up.

A Call to Courageous Faith. Ultimately, moving from the head to the heart requires courage. It’s a willingness to surrender the safety of intellect and control in favor of the unknown, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide and empower us. This shift:

• Releases men like me from the prison of fear and perfectionism.
• Allows us to experience the fullness of God’s power in our lives.
• Enables us to inspire others through authentic, heart-led action.

The psalmist in Psalm 119:11 offers us the blueprint: hiding God’s Word in the heart and living it out. It’s not just about avoiding sin—it’s about stepping into the life God has prepared for us. For mainstream evangelical men like me, this shift isn’t just freeing; it’s transformational.