‘Be a man’ – How many times have we heard this being said! And then, we have an extension for the Christian man – ‘Be a godly man.’ We have properly defined roles, all possible education and resources to support the demands and extreme pressure to become a professional of any sort – doctor, scientist,engineer, lawyer, etc. But why is there not the same kind of focus on and pressure to be a man? And anyway, what does it mean to be a man, and further still a godly man?
‘Being a man’ is to be able to do a take responsibility, deliver on promises, treat other right and a list of many other things that people would want to add to the list. ‘Being a godly man’ pushes the envelope more for a Christian man. And a key to being a godly man is to be disciplined. In his book ‘Disciplines of a Godly Man’, Kent Hughes says, “Discipline is everything.’ 1 Timothy 4:7tells us of Paul encouraging Timothy to train himself to be godly. Verse 8 says that godliness holds promise for both the present life and the life to come. Let us look at some of the things that Hughes draws our attention to in his book ‘Disciplines of a Godly man.’
1.Character: Integrity is simply the ability and choice to do the right thing, irrespective of audience, gain or losses, in the open and in secret. At study, work or home, we are time and again tempted to do wrong just because it is convenient. Proverbs 20:10says’ “Differing weights and differing measures – the Lord hates them both.”
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” – Proverbs 15:4.We are called to speak the truth, encourage others and speak life into the lives of others. Let us stay away from gossip and be careful of what words come out of mouths.
2.Relationships:
Friendship: One of the strongest bonds that a man choose, friendship calls for honor, equality, loyalty, vulnerability and encouragement. Jesus has called us to be his friends (John 15:15). We have the privilege to be his friend and the opportunity to show the same kind of friendship towards our friends.
Sensuality is the easily the biggest obstacle to godliness among men. We should discipline ourselves to stay pure in this day and time when the temptations to indulge in sexual impurity are not just matched but are far outnumbered by the resources available to satiate those needs.
Acts 20:35 – It is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving is a difficult concept as a discipline. It is something that we all think about when it is convenient and feasible. How many of us actually make a plan to give (money, time, effort, resources, etc.) and then work towards to fulfilling that plan?
3.Soul: Romans 12:2 asks to renew our minds. The constant onslaught of what the world has to offer and the effect it has on our mind will eventually show in our words and actions. We have to renew our mind constantly to keep it in line with the spirit of God that we claim resides in us. We need to read and meditate on the scriptures if our lives are to run by them. What are you reading currently apart from the Bible? What are you reading from the Bible?
Prayer and personal devotion: We need to know the Master if we want to serve Him and please Him. With God it always just a matter of us making time – He is always present and available. The discipline to spend time with Him regularly will give us the direction, encouragement and strength even when we ourselves are in doubt in difficult times.
Prioritize your list for disciplining yourself to be a godly man. Make specific notes and plans on what you intent to do and assign a timeline to the plan of action. Pray about it, be accountable to friend/guide and get started. Do what you can. God will take care of the rest.
References and recommend reading:
Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes.