Manly Men | Courage

As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon: “…Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways… 1 Kings 2:1-2

If only we had more fathers passing the mantle like David did, exhorting sons to “take courage and be a man.” Thousands of boys are growing up with no one to show them what that means, so they turn to friends, gangs, TV, or movies hoping to learn. David did not merely give an order and then leave it up to his son to figure it out. He first modeled manliness as Israel’s greatest king. He passed on his secret: “Keep the commands of our God and follow everything He says to do.” The key to true manhood is not unbridled freedom; it is voluntary submission to the Lord. Self-control is the bedrock of real manliness

“Get her pregnant.” “Make a million dollars by the time you’re thirty.” “Keep a hot babe in every town.” “Be a superstar athlete.” These are the instructions our world gives men and they are often accepted without question. But these are Satan’s values, pumped into the culture under the guise of “masculinity.” They only destroy men, keeping them selfish boys instead of propelling them toward manly leadership. So how do guys “take courage and be a man?” Courage is resisting the avalanche of sexual invitations, perverted temptations, and empty goals. Making babies is not a sign of manhood; an adolescent wimp has the equipment to do that. It takes a man to love the babies he makes and stick around to raise them. It takes a man to exercise self-control and honor the commitments he made. It takes a real man to keep God’s commands and follow in all His ways.

Final Thought:

Boys become manly men by taking courage and keeping God’s commands.

Prayer:

Happy Father’s Day, Lord. Thank you for being such a good Father to me. I want to model your character to those who need my fathering. Help me tune out the world’s opinion and press toward maturity by obeying you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.