You’re The Man!

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"There is one standard every man is to be judged by. One! And whose standard is that? God’s. All others are just opinions, but only one really counts."

You are the man! If you have never had someone tell you that before, then let me be the first.  

It seems these days, men are put down constantly. On one hand some middle age men are told, “You work too much and never have time for your family.” On the other hand, it is voiced to some younger men, “You are on your phone constantly and play video games all day. You are lazy. Get a job!” To some men it is also conveyed, “You are too harsh and blow up all the time.” While to other men it is said, “You are too passive and never say anything.” Then around Father’s Day each year some dads always seem to hear, “You are a dead-beat dad, and your kids are going to end up in jail.”

These messages are conflicting and condemning. They do not give men something to live up to, but produce a sense of rejection. Despite that, can we ask, “Are any of those statements true?” To be honest, sometimes they are. It depends on the man. But that is not the point!

By what standard is a man to be judged? By his family, girlfriend, society, his religion, by movies, social media or his own personal opinion? There is one standard every man is to be judged by. One! And whose standard is that? God’s. All others are just opinions, but only one really counts.

God is the Creator of every man and thereby sets the standard for which they are to live. Here are three of God’s standards.

1.    Be a man of peace. It is written, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” (Proverbs 15:18) A man is to put away his quick and hot temper. He should restrain himself, and seek to be a person of peace and work to create such an environment wherever he is.

2.    Be a man of purity and faithfulness. The Scripture teaches, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4) A man is to walk in purity, abstaining from sex outside of marriage, and be faithful toward his wife in marriage.

3.    Be a man of love. The Bible says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) A man is to love the Lord God with all his being. Not some, but all. All of his intellect, passions, spiritual life and physical being. And a man is to love others, just as he would want to be loved, laying down his life for the good of his neighbor.

Are you such a man?

One is not merely identified outwardly as a man, but his true essence is identified inwardly. Is he a man of peace? Is he a man of purity and faithfulness? Is he a man of love for God and others? Men, I challenge you to be who God created you to be. He made you with a purpose, and did not make a mistake.

But you say, “I have failed.” We all have. There is only one man who has never failed. Jesus. Yet in His perfection, the Author of life died and rose again that all might be as He. Through Him, all men can be made new. They can be freed from the things that have controlled and ruined their life up to this day. Admit your sin before God, place your faith in Him and live according to His ways. Then you can truly be the man you were born to be.          

A prayer for you – Lord God, thank you for every man you have made. They are precious in your sight. Yet, they have done wrong. Evil things have enslaved their minds and hearts. Deliver them this hour. Bring them to call upon you and be set free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.