Men of God
THE LION & THE LAMB: JESUS’ EXAMPLE TO MEN
Bacon and beards. Aggressive conquest. Conceal your feelings. Compete. To be a man you must be “insert varying cultural standard here.” What it means to be a man changes generationally. Men have been expected to keep up with new norms or be considered an outcast. Thankfully, God doesn’t change. His roles don’t change. His idea of what it means to be a man can still be found and pursued in a climate hellbent on flipping the masculine norm on its head. So, what does it look like to be a man of God? To answer, we must look to Jesus Christ.
THE PERFECT MAN
Jesus is our example of perfect masculinity, so to be a man of God is to know your role within His Kingdom. “I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3, NKJV). Men are to be submissive and fully surrendered to God and His perfect will. Jesus spoke this clearly while praying in the garden: “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, NKJV). Jesus wasn’t about seeking His desires and fortune but instead sought to help, heal, lead, teach, and protect others. Men are called today to do the same. Whether single or married, men have a responsibility to seek the good of others before themselves and to protect them from evil.
TRUE PASSION
Toxic masculinity refers to the overly aggressive, dominant, and competitive type of guy who controls and uses intimidating brute force. This is not what Jesus calls men to be. However, men are, at times, called to be lionlike. Much like when Christ braided a whip and chased the ungodly out of the temple, men can show passion, zeal, and holy anger when God’s name has been slandered. Men should be seeking to build and advance God’s kingdom, not their ideal world.
Men should be seeking to build and advance God’s kingdom, not their ideal world.
Men are also called to be lamblike: gentle, warm, caring, empathetic, and emotional. Jesus was very tender, fully expressing and experiencing the whole range of human emotions including weeping, sorrow, and joy. God does not want men to be passive, however. Guys acting too scared to make a decision are not godly. Some men fall into the camp of being too lamblike, or too lionlike, but Jesus demonstrates when to be which. The church needs both, and men can grow by making the kind of decisions that benefit others and bring glory to God.
MEN NEED MEN
Hollywood has pedaled the illusion that men are to lead “Lone Ranger” lives. According to God though men must submit to authority and they need others. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV). It’s necessary to share struggles, mental battles, and sin issues together.1 There is no need to pretend or put on a façade. Getting over yourself and being vulnerable is a scary thing to do, but it’s healthy. Repent, be brave, and be real with others. Besides, you can’t be brave without first being afraid.
We need each other’s help. It’s good to show emotion and passion. It’s also good to be firm, unwavering, understanding, and vulnerable with others. It all begins by looking to Jesus for your marching orders and strength.
1. Galatians 6:2