Every man needs a role model – and many of us had imperfect ones. I’m convinced that a man wanting to be like Jesus is the best thing he can do for his wife, children, community, and well-being.
I have a pretty simple theory – what a man values, he will become. If he values friendship, he’ll be a good friend. If he values money, he’ll be greedy. If he values his wife and children, he’ll be a good husband and father. If he values his own need for achievement – he’ll become a high achiever who can’t hold himself or his family together.
If you haven’t read it before, read the Gospel of John in the Bible. For me, it’s my favorite book, and I believe that the Scriptures were given by God to humanity to help us learn what it means to live as we were meant to live – in close relationship with God and one another.
In the Gospel of John, you’ll see Jesus
- caring for the weak,
- building friendship with his disciples,
- being good, kind, and supportive those entrusted to his care,
- addressing injustice and those taking advantage of the vulnerable with strength and courage,
- and selflessly loving every person He meets – even to the point of laying His life down for them.
In my view, I just described a good man. A deeply compassionate, wise, courageous, and good man.
I worship Jesus as a Christian, and worship simply means that I place Him in the place of highest value in my life. That empowers me to value my wife, my children, and others, and to see my work and play in perspective so neither gets the better of me.
And when a man values Jesus that highly, and reads the Scriptures, worships, prays, and gets mentors who truly will help that man be like Jesus in his integrity, faithfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, and perseverance – then God and all of Heaven will back that man’s act.
A man needs a role model, and no matter what his father taught him, for good or for bad, his mentors taught him, for good or for bad, Jesus has things to show a man who sits at His feet and learns from him.
And it will ultimately make:
- his family better
- his friendships better
- his closest relationships better
- his community better, and
- his heart better
Ask Jesus now to show Himself to you in new ways this coming month, and, if you haven’t already, begin to read the Gospel of John to see what a real man is like.
Dan +
P.S. If you need a Bible, here is a good one to start with.
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Sex Is Mating – And Is Worth The Wait
What Your Girlfriend Needs From You
A Sample Wedding Service For Couples
The Virtue Of The Second Question