How To Be A Man Of God Part 2

“The universe is so vast and so ageless that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice.” These sobering words were written by a young Royal Air Force pilot shortly before he perished in the infamous Battle Of Britain during World War 2. His sacrifice helped save millions – and it exemplifies many deep, not often discussed aspects of the masculine soul – imparted onto us by God Himself. In ‘How To Be A Man Of God Part 1’ we discussed five characteristics that Godly men exhibit, or should aspire to exhibit. That was just the beginning; Despite Hollywood’s portrayal of men as narrowly thinking cavemen, that just drink beer and watch sports; the masculine soul is deep, complex, untamed, and driven by a deep sense of honor. Join me, dear friends – let’s examine five more traits of the masculine heart – as God designed us. 

1. A Man Of God serves a purpose much larger than himself. The young RAF pilot may not have realized it at the time, but he was describing a deep principle of God’s own heart. God has created every man to sacrifice himself for a greater purpose. In the pilot’s case, it was doing his duty and fighting an evil empire – saving millions from an oppressive, evil government. For some of us, it is raising our children, building a ministry, building a God centered business, the list goes on. All of these require sacrifice and putting others before one's self, but when a man is serving a larger purpose, he rises to the challenge and operates optimally.

2. A Man Of God can protect his people. Today’s culture promotes non-violence, but the masculine soul was given a righteous capacity for violence. King David, Samson, Giddeon, the list goes on – all men who had a righteous capacity for violence. Some might argue that this was in the old testament – in Luke 22:36, Jesus commands his disciples to buy swords – even if it means selling their garments! A Man Of God realizes that we live in a fallen world, that there is evil lurking in the shadows, so he protects his loved ones – he uses his capacity for violence to do good. Whether this is purchasing a firearm, a Taser, pepper spray, or attending martial arts classes, a Man Of God must be able to protect his clan.

3. A Man Of God has grit. Jesus is a great example of a man that had some grit in him. Whether it was flipping tables and causing chaos in corrupt Jewish temples, calling out self-righteous Pharisees, or pointing out the sins of the Samaritan woman he had just met at the well (and later calling her to repentance). A Man Of God has some grit in him, he knows what he believes – the difference between right and wrong, he is unashamed of what he believes, and he is not afraid to take action when he sees an injustice.

4. A Man Of God invigorates his passion for life. Every man has instilled within him a passion that brings him to life. In my years of Men’s ministry, I have discovered a fundamental truth about men – we come alive when we have adventure in our lives. I see men walking around church every day, beaten down by the world, tired, and without zeal. Part of my ministry is to take guys out shooting; it is incredible to see a man come back to life in only a few hours. They leave completely different than they came. There is a deep, spiritual principle here – God created men to be the leaders and foundations upon which the family is built. Inevitably, the weight of life bears down on a man, and God implanted the remedy within us – He gives us these passions so that we can momentarily experience a bliss like heaven. A Man Of God must prioritize occasionally invigorating himself, so that he may be a more effective leader.

5. A Man Of God reaches back, and helps future generations. This should almost go without saying, but it is one of the most important principles we have. A Man Of God is always pouring into the next generation – this can include his children, a youth ministry at church, or an outreach for underprivileged youth. For two and a half years, I had the distinct privilege of leading a ministry that focused on at risk youth in one of the worst neighborhoods in Jacksonville. The children in that area of town are in no small part responsible for the man I am today. In my time there, I noticed a common theme – none of my children had fathers involved in their lives. It is a vicious cycle – the young girls grow up to have “daddy issues”, never realizing their true value, and spent their adult lives seeking validation from men. The boys grow up never being initiated into manhood (only men can bestow masculinity onto a young man), they seek validation of their masculinity by sleeping with as many women as possible – renewing the cycle of brokenness for the next generation. As Men Of God, it is imperative that we reach back and help the generation behind us.

 Being a man, running at an optimal level, is a tremendous challenge and responsibility. Yet, once a man discovers his own capacities, he is truly set free to do everything that God has called him to – he is free to be the best husband, father, friend, mentor, and leader that he can be. I realize that in some areas of this blog, the bar is set quite high. However, the truth is that every man has this capacity within him, and if I had one wish for all of my readers – it would be that they all one day discover just how much they are truly capable of.