Biblical manhood

Manhood—especially biblical manhood need not be confusing or complicated. What does it mean to be a man, specifically a man of faith who is interested in pleasing God and living for Him?

The unique, God-designed differences between men and women are to be celebrated. For men, biblical manhood’s characteristics are worthy of praise, appreciation, and admiration. We’ll look at several such characteristics and the men of the Bible who embodied them.

Men of faith

Faith is a defining characteristic of our relationship with God—and therefore is a core characteristic of a biblical man. Hebrews 11:6 [NIV] says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” A man who loves God and desires to please Him and lives by  faith (trust in God and His character).

Abraham is the “father of our faith” [Galatians 3:7] for a good reason: He demonstrated trust in God by leaving his home, traveling to a new country, and believing God’s promise of a child when he and Sarah were old. His faith in God extended to willingness to sacrifice (though not required to be carried out) that same child—his only son [Genesis 22:1-19]. Paul, in Romans 4, writes about Abraham: “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God” [Romans 4:20]. Abraham is a true example of a biblical man who lived by faith in God.

Leadership

Leadership is another characteristic of biblical manhood. Husbands are the spiritual leaders of their homes [Ephesians 5:23], and often have opportunities to lead in the church, in their jobs, in their communities, and most importantly, to lead themselves.

Jesus, our ultimate example of leadership, modeled servant leadership. In Matthew 20:26, Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”  Jesus demonstrated serving for His disciples by washing their feet. He said: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” [John 13:1-17]. Jesus did the lowliest task to demonstrate leading by serving others, ultimately laying down His life for us.

Strength

From a biblical standpoint, there’s an important component to strength that comes from depending and relying on God. Christian men who wish to demonstrate true strength will find the source is trust and reliance on God’s strength and ability, not their own.

When God sent him to free His people, Moses used excuses not to go, even asking God to send someone else. God answered him by saying, “I will be with you” [Exodus 3:12 NIV]. Later, in Numbers 12:3, Moses describes himself as the most humble man on earth. If humility is to depend on God, we can conclude that Moses learned to draw his strength from God.

Paul is another example of someone who relied on God for his strength through trials [2 Corinthians 11:23-29]. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul shares what God showed him: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” Later Paul writes: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” [Philippians 4:13 NIV].

To display biblical manhood, walk your faith and trust in God by depending and relying on Him for His strength and ability, trusting that He’ll give you everything you need to live out your calling as men of God.