Being a Real Man

Be a man. You often hear this phrase. Man up, be a man, show some male pride. The list could go on and on. But do we as Christians know what it takes to be a real man? I ask you, what do you think a real man is? I would like to hear what you think. I have my opinions of what a real man is and how he conducts himself.

I believe the first characteristic of a real man is that he fears the Lord God Almighty. Without this fear, he is no man at all. A real man must have this fear and be constantly doing what pleases the Lord. Of course, due to our sinful nature we will never achieve this lofty goal. A real man will pray without ceasing at all times. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Pray for your wife, children, family, friends, and so on.

A real man will place his family's needs ahead of his own. Make sacrifices when and where necessary. As I indicated in my post on loving your wife, help out around the house. Contrary to popular opinion, real men cook, clean, and even do laundry. A real man will make sure his family is spiritually led by reading scripture, praying with, and for them and by making sure they are in church and learning while they are there.

A real man will not be ashamed to let everyone know that Christ is in charge of his life. I once saw a t-shirt that read "Real men love Jesus". I couldn't agree more. This is where it must begin for all men. We must desire to be Christlike in everything we do. I by no means claim to be an expert. I, for one, need all the help from the Lord I can get.

We, as men, must strive to take up our cross for the Lord. This will not be an easy task. As we all know, the world is full of so called "men" that have no real clue what it takes to be a real man.