Little boys may have their fathers at home to show them what a man is. They also may have other men in their household, extended family, neighborhood, church and others like teachers and coaches. And culturally they are additionally impacted by their favorite athletes, actors and musicians. In some cases, the examples might be good, in other cases, not so much.
Is there a singular standard that describes what a man is and how he should live? Yes. God has provided that standard because He created man. The story of man’s origin is found in the Bible in its opening pages, in the book of Genesis. Read the first two chapters and you will find these eight descriptions about what it means to be a man.
1. A man (if the Lord will’s) receives the woman God has provided to be his wife (Gen. 2:18-25).
2. A man serves and cherishes his wife. (Gen. 2:24)
3. A man and his wife raise children. (Gen. 1:28)
4. A man works and provides for himself and his family. (Gen. 2:15)
5. A man leads. (Gen. 2:15)
6. A man protects and takes care of what he has been given by God. (Gen. 2:15)
7. A man exercises self-control. (Gen. 2:17)
8. A man walks with God. (Gen. 1:7-8)
The majority of men do not live this way though. Why? Because of this . . . “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened . . .” (Genesis 3:6-7).
This account lays out how the first disease entered our world and affected the human race, which was the disease of sin. It totally altered men causing them to reject God, act on selfish impulses, destroy what God has given, become passive followers, become absent in helping to raise their children, become unemployed and not provide for their family, serve their own interests and only remain with his wife until he chooses to divorce. Sin completely corrupted God’s original purpose for men, flipping upside down everything God intended him to be.
How can a man live differently, like he was created to do? How can he redeem what sin is destroying? To live as God wants is impossible. We cannot do it on our own. We need help outside ourselves to change us into the men we must be. That help comes from Jesus. He alone is our hope. Jesus died and rose again to save us from ourselves. He came to rescue us. Call out to Jesus to make you the man you were created to be.
A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray you will deliver men from the sin within them. Lift their eyes toward you Jesus. May they call upon you to change them into the men you destine them to be. In Jesus name. Amen.”
In these situations, have you ever asked yourself, “What do I really want from them?” Honestly speaking, is there anything they could realistically do to make things right? I am going to guess that in most cases, probably not. Especially if they have died, have nothing to do with you anymore or are uncooperative. Most likely, whatever you could think up for the person to do, would either never happen or end up not being enough.
There is only one sure way of handling situations like this. Forgiveness. It is written, “. . . as the Lord [Jesus] has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossian 3:13).Forgiveness is an often-used term in financial sectors, referring to the forgiveness of a loan or another type of financial debt. It is also used in relationships with the same idea. When someone has offended you, they have accrued an offense debt. They would pay it off by voluntarily coming and admitting what they have done, making no excuses, and apologizing. Then in response you forgive the offense debt and peace is restored in the relationship.
However, it normally does not work that way. Typically, the person who hurt you never comes to make things right. Let me ask this tough question. Will you forgive the one who has hurt you without them admitting any wrong? It is easy to forgive when the person genuinely apologizes, but hard when someone arrogantly refuses. In situations like these this is where forgiveness is desperately needed, but can only be done by the power of God.
In our natural humanness we will only forgive if someone meets our conditions for it. And when someone does not meet our conditions, we refuse forgiveness. According to God’s standards though, He requires it. No matter the gravity of the offense. No matter the attitude of the offender. No excuses. God commands us to forgive.
Why? Because the eternal destiny of our unseen soul depends on it.
Jesus provided an example. He suffered, died and rose again to provide the forgiveness you and I need for our offenses against Him. He chose to do it despite our selfish attitude and rejection of Him. He made away for the ungrateful to be forgiven. In the same way, we must forgive others. Because through the cross Jesus forgave, so must we.
If we refuse, the consequences are dire. God will not forgive us. Think about it logically. How can He forgive us, if we refuse to forgive others? How can He allow an unforgiving person into His forgiving eternal home?
In our natural state, it is nearly impossible to forgive, but with the power of God, it is possible. By faith call out to Him for help. Admit your weakness, but also your willingness to do it.
A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray you will help the reader to see if there is anyone they need to forgive. Surface a name and face, and nature of the offense. Bring them to submit to your command to forgive no matter how hard it is. Then empower them through the Holy Spirit to actually forgive, releasing the person from any offense debt they owe. Enable them to forgive like Jesus and experience your grace. In Jesus name. Amen.”
When your name is said in your community, what do you think comes to a person’s mind? What about among your family and closest friends, those who know you best, who know both your good and bad? What about with God? Keep in mind, He is a Spirit that is present everywhere all the time. Meaning, He has seen everything we have ever done and heard everything we have ever spoken. He also knows everything that has ever passed through our mind: all images, thoughts and motives. Based on that, what if someone came to God in heaven and mentioned your name to Him, what do you think would come to His mind?
The Bible verse clearly communicates that a person’s name has significance because it is a reflection of their life. And it states that a good name is to be chosen over riches. What does riches mean? It refers to a person’s strong focus on increased income, possessions, influence and all the different things that money can do at the expense of a good name. But what is at the heart of the pursuit of riches? Self. We want, what we want, when we want it. This reveals our perspective on life. First, we are the most important person in our life and primarily focus on what has a direct or indirect benefit on us. Second, we are only focused on the present or future of this life.
What does the proverb mean by desiring a “good name”? It does not primarily refer to a good name among people, because that would lead to pleasing others in order to be accepted by them. It indicates desiring a good name before God and acceptance by Him. This is the wiser and to be sought out above everything else in life.
How does one achieve a good name? It starts with admitting your life has been primarily about you, which has led to disobedience against God and the disrespect of others. It is lifting your eyes off yourself and up toward God’s only Son, Jesus, who died and rose again. It is calling upon God in faith, asking Him to help change your ways, and maybe even going to others to make things right whom you have wronged. It is God pouring His Spirit within you and giving you His character and power to live differently. And according to His Word, your life will start to become marked by a new set of qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
The new life God will bring upon us will have three amazing promises. First, we will receive a new name. Yes, we will keep our previous name, but in being changed by God our name will become “good” by Him, thereby becoming new. Second, Jesus promises that our new name is written down in a book of life He possesses. Third, He promises that one day in the future, beyond this life, He will confess our new name before God the Father in heaven and all the angels.
If you continue living as you are, the God who knows all things will judge you accordingly and the present and eternal consequences that come will be justified. But if you desire a good name and favor with God above the temporal things of this life, and turn to Him with all your heart, you will escape His judgment and receive a new name that one day will be voiced among the angels.
A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray you will help me to examine my ways. Have I been only living for myself and this life? Have I disrespected others and disobeyed You in the pursuit of my interests? Lift my eyes toward You. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Save me. Change me. Give me a new name that I might live honorably before You. In Jesus name. Amen.”
