Heading into election season the political tension is high in 2024 America. The slogans are in full force as well, certainly not least of them being the former President Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again‘.

With only a matter of months remaining in the election cycle and a forced polarization thanks to a frenzied media and the division our two-party system always brings, I thought I’d take the time to write this piece about a more noble and worthwhile pursuit, replete with its very own, totally clever slogan: ‘Make Men Great Again.’

The truth is that the health of our nation is directly related to the health of our families. Therefore it is truly of utmost importance that men start acting like men again. So what does the Bible say about being a man? How can we embody true masculinity? Paul gave us a glimpse in his first letter to the saints in Corinth:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Men Are Watchful

Another way to convey this is the simple fact that, as men, we must be observant of our surroundings. This is in both the physical and spiritual sense.

Included in the aspect of watchfulness is the practice of foresight. We can’t consider ourselves true watchers if we don’t know how to anticipate future threats to the spiritual health of our family.

To be watchful is to be observant, analytical, prepared, and proactive. Watch over your family. Watch for the devil and his never ending pursuit over yours and your family’s lives. Be weary of bad habits developed in your home that threaten its peace. Be watchful. Don’t get complacent. Expect anything and be ready to confront it if it’s presents a threat.

Men Stand Firm In The Faith

In the bible there are many examples of men who stood firm in their faith. Their faith in God never wavered despite all the obstacles that stood in their way. Standing firm means to be immovable; to be resolute within, or unshakeable from the belief of.

There are many things that men can stand firm in, but standing firm in the faith is another thing entirely. It is about our entire belief system, and making the decision to base your life on it rather than the things of this world.

Perhaps amongst the finest examples of standing firm in the faith is Noah, who had many reasons to doubt. He also had many opportunities to shirk at commands from God if he so chose to.

It was especially difficult for Noah given the context of his times. The entire world was judged by God to have been corrupt while Noah seemed to be the only one who was blameless and upright.

Noah chose to persevere in his faith. We can see this in Genesis, when God was commanding Noah what to do concerning his family and all the animals.

“Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis 6:21-22

Not long after Noah had built the ark, after the flood consumed all the lands of the earth and the waters finally receded, Noah knew exactly who to pay respect to and built an altar to the Lord.

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

Genesis 8:20

Over one-hundred years had passed from the beginning of the ark’s construction to the end. Even after all that time Noah stood firm in his commitments to God. After the flood Noah still remembered who to worship and sacrifice to when the flood had subsided. He never forgot about his God, just like God never forgot about him.

In all of the frightful days, the uncertainty that the flood presented, Noah stood firm. Like Noah, we men need to stand firm in our faith, as followers of Christ, followers in Christ. Even when our faith is challenged, we must not turn away.

As men we are called to be faithful not just for our sake, but also for our family’s. Our wife and children are better off when they see that we hold steadfast to a relationship with Jesus. They respect us when we have convictions and principals that are based in the faith, and we stick to them.

Men Are Strong

While it is true that men generally tend to be the physically stronger sex, this isn’t necessarily the kind of strength that Paul is speaking about. The Apostle Paul was strong in his suffering, in his faith, and in his resilience. Things that knock most men down didn’t knock Paul down because he knew well who was his foundation. Paul repeatedly expressed throughout his letters his continuous joy, even during times of great personal suffering. This takes a kind of strength that men need to have, and one that very few actually possess.

Are you strong in your suffering? Do you practice patience and self-control when your life circumstances crumble around you? When your wife drives you insane do you allow your anger to run free, or do you harness all the remaining strength you have in the moment and control your tongue to defuse the tension? Do you stand firm in strength when other people challenge your faith? Is your resolve dependent upon the opinions others hold towards Jesus?

Those who persecuted him could do so as they pleased; Paul wasn’t going to be stopped because of it. He had a mission that was given to him by the Son of God, to preach the gospel to the gentiles and makes brothers and sisters out of them.

This lent him a strength that years and years of following the law and advancing amongst the pharisees could not give him. Strength amidst suffering means holding your composure and acting as you know you ought to act, even when it is most difficult to do so.

When Jesus said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

Matthew 5:38-70

He knew that this would require us to be strong. It is not a weak man that can do those things, but a man strong enough to practice self-control.

Men Act Out Of Love

There is no greater example of this than through Jesus Christ’s time here on earth. Everything he did was out of love for us. He blessed the poorest of us, confronted the most self-righteous of us, and took on all of our sins. He did these things not out of a feeling of obligation, but out of pure love.

For our sake he demonstrated the most pure form of love possible: he died on the cross for us, that we might be redeemed and be offered the free gift of grace. His sacrifice, the theme this blog is determined to hone in on, is where love is seen at its strongest.

So with that in mind one might ask ‘what is love?’ Or even, ‘how do I act out of love?’ Fortunately for us the answers are made clear in scripture.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV

To act out of love in this context has us loving others by being patient, kind, humble, calm, forgiving, truthful, persistent, faithful, hopeful, and steadfast.

Now that’s a high calling— but one that is more than worth our time striving towards. But do you see the pattern that emerges? In all of these aspects of love that Paul describes we see the perfect image of Jesus and his sacrificial ways!

All of them require forgoing what you would have for what you can give others. It takes a great deal of sacrifice to give up your desires for the needs of others.

As you can see, us guys are held to a high standard and a calling of purpose. We aren’t meant to be lazy, angry grumps with an inability to solve problems, commit ourselves, and count those around us as more significant. Instead we should be watchful, stand firm in our faith, exemplify strength, and act in love.

We also should be filling the roles God has assigned to us; namely that of protector, provider, and leader. As men, and particularly as husbands and fathers, when we are asked the question: what is your purpose? This is the answer to that question.

You protect your family from the world, from sin, and any threat that might present itself to your family. You provide for them, working hard to bring in an income and put food on the table, sacrificing your time so they can have more. And you lead them in Christ.

This is not to say that you lead them in your own worldly pursuits and the buck stops with you; this means you are pointing them in the direction of God and leading by example what it means to be Godly. You sacrifice, serve, and act first.

Men hold themselves accountable and take responsibility.

If men are to be great again then they must learn the concept of accountability. There are many men walking around today who have made a bad habit of victimizing themselves and blaming their problems on other people. This can take place at every level of society, but does most of its harm at the family level.

When a husband has a lack of accountability and he shirks off his God-given duties, he is doing everyone in his house a disservice and making a fool of himself. The proof of God’s roles for husband and father are made clear in the scriptures, for we are to lead under the concept of Headship and must hold ourselves responsible for what we have been entrusted with.

Let’s look all the way back to Genesis during the time of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It is here that we first see God’s intended order for his creation when Satan convinces Eve to take the apple from the tree which God had commanded Adam not to take from.

When Eve took the apple, ate from it, and offered it up to Adam, it was he that God later held responsible. God did not begin his walk in the garden in search of Eve, but her husband, who had a clear responsibility in his marriage. When God learned that Adam had done nothing to keep Eve from taking the apple, and had even partook in eating it, he held Adam chiefly responsible. God makes his order and intention clear from the very start.

So too must us men hold ourselves responsible to the standard that God does. We are the lead servant of our family. Do we lead in serving? Are we the first to get up off the couch and tend to the needs of our family and our home? We are the lead sacrificer in our home. Do we sacrifice more than the rest of our family?

This is not a competition, merely a wakeup call. You should be sacrificing all of yourself to the maximum capability. Your time should be dedicated to your family. Your attention should be theirs, and your efforts as well.

Do everything for their sake in love, counting them as more significant than yourself. Your family story isn’t about you, it’s about God and how you point them towards Him.

Men sacrifice and serve. Jesus set the ultimate example.

In line with the main idea behind this blog, The Sacrificial Man, one of the most important aspects of biblical masculinity is in sacrificing and serving. Jesus laid down his own life in order to save ours. He didn’t have to do this, in fact Jesus appears to have highly resisted the idea of dying on the cross and taking on the weight and stain of our sin, but he chose to do it anyway. He knew that without him we would have no hope. Without him we would stand condemned.

As men in our modern culture we often feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders (and if you don’t feel that way, you’re likely doing something very wrong.)

Even in our trials and tribulations we have to understand that we are fulfilling a divine purpose; that of giving ourselves up to meet the needs of our families and the community of believers around us.

Essential in the list of ingredients that makes up biblical manhood is the willingness to lower ourselves in humility and serve those entrusted to us. This was what Jesus modeled best, and we would do well as men in Christ to follow his example.

In conclusion, let’s take a look back at what constitutes a true man full of biblical masculinity.

Great men :

• Are watchful
• Stand firm in the faith
• Are strong in suffering and resolve
• Act out of love
• Hold themselves responsible
• Sacrifice themselves for their family
• Serve those around them

And they know their roles as given to them by God:

• Protector
• Provider
• Leader

All of these qualities make a man who lives not for his own selfish ambitions or baseless reasons, but for the Lord. He is a husband and a father who has a purpose. His motivation is in the Lord, his desires in line with the Spirit. Jesus is his example and he recognizes his family as the precious and valuable people that they are, and that he has been entrusted with them.

Life may not seem fair to you, but that’s the point men! Don’t be a victim. Be a victor. And finally, in all that you do: be a sacrificial man!

Peace be upon you and your family. I hope you learned something valuable here and I certainly hope you’ll take the time to leave a comment below! I love to write but I also love to learn, so let me learn from you and your own unique insight below.

For more on biblical masculinity and your true purpose:

• Putting Christ First
• 4 Ways You Must Provide