Being a Man of God

Many times I tend to forget my chronological age (which is that of a middle-aged adult) and get caught up more into my attitudinal age (which is somewhere between sixteen and twenty one). Or, at least until I try roller blading, ropes courses, wrestling and other age-inappropriate behavior and end up in the emergency room with sprained and swollen ankles and wrists! And then at times, I will become more reflective, almost to the point of becoming maudlin, about my place in life and what I have done and what I want to accomplish in the years ahead.

What is involved in being a Man of God? Is it as easy as my great grandfather used to tell me? "I don't drink and I don't chew and I don't go with girls who do!". Does it mean to walk around with my big black Scofield Bible quoting scriptures verses about God's law to anyone who will listen? Or, is it a little more involved?

Being a single guy, I sometimes feel that I have more to prove to those around me about my spiritual walk as a Man of God. After all, I have no wife to be my helper and partner in ministry and no children to be my crowning accomplishment and to train up in the ways of God. Not that I haven't prayed for a wife and family, but God just hasn't determined the time to be right and I'm quite okay with the single life. In actuality, though, how does that prevent me from being a Man of God? The scripture tells us that the man should be the head of the house, to love his wife as Christ loves the Church and to train up his children in the ways of the Lord. Somehow I have not been able to convince Murphy (my terrier) to wear his little coat and tie and come to church with me, so that part may be moot. He is also not particularly submissive to me, so I guess I strike out on that count, also. Does that mean I am not a Man of God?

I look around me at men in my church that I would consider Men of God, many of them younger than I am. Strong men of the faith, never ashamed to share their testimony, always greeting one another with a smile and a firm handshake or a hug, working with children in Bible Study, mission projects and other areas of ministry. I see Men not afraid to weep during times of prayer and praise and always stand ready if the Pastor asks for someone to come counsel with someone at the altar. These men are the first to step forward if a need is present and none of them care about recognition for their service.

Being born and raised in the South, there are two words that every southern man is raised to consider most important in their way of life - Honor and Integrity. Without these qualities then you are not considered a true gentleman. As a Man of God, we are also given instructions on how to live. As Micah tells us, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? "(Micah 6:8). I don't know about you, but I also see undercurrents of honor and integrity included in those words. The men in my church whom I look up to and consider mentors have these qualities. However, most importantly, when they make a mistake and fall short of man and God's expectations, they are the first to admit their shortcoming and ask forgiveness at both the altar of their fellowman and the altar of God. Humility, humbleness, honor.

My involvement with the teenagers at my church gives me satisfaction like none other. The fun, the laughs and the pranks will be unforgettable (even though our Student Pastor puts me on double-secret probation at least once a year for my involvement with the pranks). However, also in the satisfaction are the times of having one of the students come to me with questions about their faith, questions about their family relationships, questions about their sexual purity as a Christian young man, questions about their careers, questions about whom to date and other important issues to them. I don't have the answers, but I look with them into the scriptures and share things that God has taught me and led me to understand in hopes that it will help them in their paths. And then when I get that quick punch on the shoulder (which is teenspeak for a hug sometimes), and I see a tear in their eyes and a relaxed smile on their face, I know that God is with them and my love for them grows. I learned when I was a Minister of Youth to "always take puppy love seriously because it is so serious to the puppies." Some of the things they come to me and other adults to discuss may seem somewhat unimportant, but it is important to them and they should be treated with respect and honor. (Of course, I also learned to not let sixty teenagers loose in Times Square and then take off running down 42nd street waving a clear plastic bag with over $800 in cash inside trying to make it to the Circle Line tour boat on time, but that's another story for another time.)

So, back to the original question. How can we be Men of God? Just do it. Love others, treat them with honor and respect, be an example to your family and to those around you, be a leader in your home, church, job and community, ask God each and every day to use you as His vessel here on earth so that others can see Jesus in you and don't be afraid to share the Love of God when the situations arise.

I am a Man of God, even though I might be a bit quirky at times. Let me encourage you other guys to find your place in God's work as Men of God, standing firm and strong for future generations.

Be God's,
Jimmy