“[Christian men are to be] worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.” (1 Timothy 3:8-9; paraphrase mine)
What makes a good man? Is it strength? Is it gentleness? Is it financial wealth? Is it a sense of humor? Is it good looks? Is it good with kids? Is it Bible knowledge?
There are classic stereotypes like the chiseled jaw, no emotion, rugged toughness of a “Man’s Man,” or even the action-oriented, high achieving, charismatic leader. Books have been written, songs have been sung, movies have been filmed, but society is always changing the “qualifications” for a true man/dude/bro.
Even if we look at Biblical examples we see strong, powerful men (David, Samson), faith-filled (Noah, Abraham), great planners (Nehemiah), brilliant (Solomon, Paul), resilient men (Daniel, Joseph) and breakthrough leaders (Moses, Peter). Each of these guys had different styles and personalities and all were used powerfully by God. Some were meek, and some were bold, some were young, and some were old -the only thing these mighty men had in common is that they were all perfectly flawed.
In this sample we have murderers, adulterers, and liars in proud, arrogant, and sometimes clueless guys. We canʻt use these men as examples for us, unless we focus our attention on who they were serving – the only man who was perfect. Jesus is humble, a servant, goes against societal norms to stand up for God’s righteousness, is prayerful, knows God’s word, and is always gracious. He is the defender of women, the champion of children, and the only man fully worthy to be copied. When people tried to worship the disciples, they were stopped and their attention directed to Jesus. When we think about, “What makes a MAN?”…
Someone good looking vs. someone making good choices,
Strength to bench 300 pounds vs. strength to resist temptation,
Smart academics vs. wise counsel (applying Godly principles in life’s messy situations),
Wealthy financial provider vs. providing a home full of grace and peace.
Society is always trying to prescribe the perfect man…but the only perfect one was our suffering savior, servant leader, righteous king Jesus. He’s the mighty great man we should follow.