For years now men have been told that they need to act more like girls. No, it’s not phrased that way. Rather men have been told to “get in touch with their feminine side” or “with their inner feelings”. Now it’s true that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to “examine yourselves”. But Paul wasn’t talking about some hyper-introspection that many think is needed today. Paul’s words were, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5) and “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong,” (1 Corinthians 16:13). Davy Crockett’s motto was, “Make sure you’re right and then go ahead.”

God has made himself very clear on the fact that he desires and requires male leadership in church (Luke 6:12-16; Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). That needs to be accepted, believed, preached and taught. But it also needs to be practiced. And the time to give attention to it is always, not just when the church happens to be looking for new elders and deacons.

If the elder in the Lord’s church is the man who has risen to a goodly height of spiritual maturity that others can look to, and he is, then it stands to reason we need to be encouraging all boys and men to be growing toward that goal, whether they ever fill the office of an elder or not. So from Paul’s qualifications (and they are that) for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, what kind of man is God’s man? 

• He has a good reputation with those in and out of the church. His friends and neighbors see him as a good man. There is a consistency between his talk and his walk.

 

• He’s a one woman man. This man does not stray. One woman deserves and has his love and affection and that’s his wife. She has no competition and she knows it.

 

• He has raised his children to be faithful believers. He teaches them to pray. He teaches them to trust God. He teaches them be a faithful members of the Lord’s body.

 

• He is humble but confident. You won’t hear him blowing his horn but you will see him putting his hand to the task. He’s not slowed by self-doubt or timidity.

 

• He is not quick-tempered but he will contend for what is right. He won’t fly off the handle, especially over things that don’t matter. But he will stand the ground of the good.

 

• His life is holy. He’s not just a good, ole’ boy. He knows his soul has been saved by the precious blood of Christ. He’s not an animal evolved from an ape. He’s a man in the image of God.

 

• He’s not a drunk. His wife and his children have nothing to fear if he comes home late.

 

• His home is open. His neighbors and his children’s friends know they are welcome there. He loves people.

 

• He studies and lives his Bible. God’s Word is not a “strange thing” in his hands, on his lips or in his life.

May we teach our sons to be this kind of man. May we encourage our daughters to marry this kind of man. Because wherever you’ve got this kind of man, whether he’s ever an elder or not, you’ve got God’s man.

 

God bless you.

Brad Fry