Continued from “Growing in Godly Manhood, Part 1”

4. Service

Tied intimately with humility, service is translating selflessness into action. In other words, it’s love in motion. You can think about other people and truly desire for another’s best, but if it isn’t translated into action, it is all for naught.

It has always been Jesus’ heart that his followers mimic Him in every way. And what do we find Jesus doing? We find him with a towel around his arm, serving others. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14-15).

As a guy, I must admit it is often very hard to serve others. Just the other day, my neighbor knocked on my door, asking me to help him move some boxes out to his van. I was in the middle of writing some of my thoughts for this very TS entry on manhood. My first thought was, “Why are you asking me now! I don’t have time to help you because I need to write an article about helping other people. Can’t you see how busy I am?” But I stopped typing and helped him move the boxes. And the funny thing is as I was helping him, my heart changed and warmed. And his thankfulness put a smile on my face. That’s why I believe that God calls us to serve not only to help those in need around us, but also to work on our own hearts, exposing selfishness and training us in love.

5. Obedience
The fine print of the Christian life is that when Jesus calls and it doesn’t make sense, we must obey. One of my favorite hymns of all is "Trust and Obey":

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

A sister was telling me that she wants to be with a guy who she knows will obey God at the end of the day. “If I’m going to follow someone, I want to know that he’s going to follow God, and obey Him even when it doesn’t make sense.” Many of us men will find ourselves in leadership positions one day, if not already. In the church, at work, or in the family, when we lead others, we must be asking ourselves, “Am I leading this person to follow me, or follow Christ?” I am always checking myself with this question.

6. Increasing Love for our Maker
Finally, I am learning that a man of God falls in love with our Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords increasingly day by day. I put an emphasis on increasing because if God is indeed too large to contain, then there is more and more of Him to discover and love each and every day. As in the words of Third Day:

God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are Holy, Holy
The universe declares Your Majesty
And You are holy, holy

St. Thomas Aquinas, a famous Italian theologian, said at the end of his life that his study and pursuit of God had given him a sum total knowledge of God comparable to a teaspoon of sand along a vast and wide reaching beach. In other words, we the created can never fully grasp the fullness of God, no matter how much we study or research. That is why I am fully convinced that a mark of a true man of God, or any Christ follower for that matter, is a growing appreciation and love for our maker – daily.

Note: Want to add more to this list? Post a comment and add yours!