Disciplines of a Godly Man - Manly Characteristics and Secrets

What does it mean to be a man in today's age when it's very hard to nail down what a man is? Even in the church it is difficult to ascertain what God intends for a man to be because sometimes it seems as if there are no clear roadmaps that say this is what a man is and what a man does. But they do exist in the scriptures and they are very detailed when you actually take the time to look. I'll share with you some of those that I have found to be very helpful in my life as a man. 

Manhood is not fully given at birth. Your maleness is given at birth but your manhood is fully received as you mature and purposefully show up as a man.  This is more than being shirtless after a hard day of yard or farm work, but you must be courageous in doing the work that God has called you to do!

You must choose to show yourself to be a man. You must choose to exercise your manhood.

2 Samuel 10:12 12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.

You see, as the scripture shares, YOU have to choose to be a man. You have to choose to exercise your masculinity!

So, masculinity is not fully possessed because you are a male. You own it when you choose to show up as a godly man every day of your life to God's glory. And what are the disciplines of a godly man?

Disciplines of A Godly Man

1. A Godly Man Studies The Word of God

Let's first start off with the study of the Word of God every godly man must study the Word of God. Why is this? A man should be a defense both naturally and spiritually. A defense against all enemies seen and unseen

A man should be a defense for his family, community, nation, and the world against the ravages of sin. And in order to do this, the man must know what God wants. Because Christ is his boss. Every man has Christ as his boss.

The Bible says it like this. The head of the man is Christ.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. - 1 Corinthians 11:3

To fulfill your duty as a man, you must know The Creator's intent for your life and for His creation. So you must study the Word of God - the Bible - to know what is on the mind of God so you know what you should enforce and what you're supposed to defend against.

A godly man studies the Word of God because it is in knowing the Word of God that he knows what to allow, and what to disallow.

Eve, the Bible says, was deceived but the man was not deceived.

1 Timothy 2:14

The man is there as a defence against deception. The man must know the Word of God and know it for himself so that he can defend against any deception and live the life that God wants him and his family to live.

2. A Godly Man Practices Strength and Courage

A godly man must practice strength and courage. Over and over in Scripture in the book of Joshua and even when King Solomon was being spoken to by his father, King David, the scriptures would say that you have to be strong and courageous to be a man.

Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn ( 1 King 2:1-3)

One of the disciplines of a godly man is he practices strength and being courageous. Now this implies physical and spiritual strength, as well as physical and spiritual courage.

A lot of people don't see the value of physical exercise, but physical exercise affects your mentality and it's in your mind that warfare is waged.

So if you can strengthen your body, you can strengthen your mind with regards to spiritual things and natural things and thus fulfill your God-given purpose by the grace of God.

Your physical nature is a tool in the hands of God for His purposes.

Remember, when you take courage, God strengthens your heart.

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. - Psalm 31:24

The physical is an instrument for the spiritual. You do, and God will add to your Godly direction! Look at this again, men. 

2 Samuel 10:12 12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.

You do the right thing, and God adds!

Also, You are to practice being courageous. Remember, YOU have to choose your masculinity (2 Samuel 10:12). 

You must play the man and stand up for what is right. It may not be a physical fight, but it may be being courageous when it comes to starting a business where the warfare happens in your mind. It may be choosing to pursue a vision when you know what the word of God says. It may be that you choose to not allow certain things when you know that God doesn't want that to happen.

Being a strong and courageous man is essential to being a godly man. You can't be godly by being weak and timid. To be Godly as the scriptures show, you have to be strong and courageous.

You must choose your God-assigned role as a man. You must choose the gift of your masculinity.

In order to serve God, you must be strong and courageous. And this is how you will, in fact, make your own way successful.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. - Joshua 1:7-8

David told Solomon a similar thing: 

Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

When you are diligent to do what God has called you to do, prosperity and success will be your portion in Jesus' Name! 

3. The Godly Man Teaches and Serves His Family, The Church and The World

The godly man must teach and serve his family as the head of the wife. The godly man is to teach his wife and his children the Word of God, what God says and not in word only, but in deed. So he is to live out a godly life for his sons and daughters. He is to live out a godly life for his wife to see. He's to live it out as well as teach it with his words.

Man Is Overseer in The Church and Home

This is why the priests in the Old Testament were all male. And even in the New Testament, those who are to be overseers and those who are to be preachers and pastors are to be men as well.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety - 1Timothy 2: 11-15

The reason for that is God has given the charge of tending and keeping (Genesis 2:15) to the man and this tending and keeping has to do with what is being taught and demonstrated based on the Word of God. And this is why the man is is essential when it comes to the life of the church. He not only teaches by word, but the way that he shows up is another teacher of the word because the man lives what he believes.

A godly man lives what he believes.

Yes, a godly man lives what he truly believes and by looking at the man, you're supposed to see what the man also teaches.

The Lord Jesus in the scripture says that His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). So serving God should not only be in word but in action. Teaching is in word and in action. Service is in word and in action. And this is one of the things that the godly man should do- bring heaven to earth by his speech and actions.

A godly man should teach and serve his family by providing Spiritual food and natural food so that his family can be thoroughly equipped to do what God wants them to do.

He is the chief intermediary between heaven (spiritual) and earth (physical).

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:5-8

Will the men that God formed please stand up!

From one man to another, I implore you to choose to show up as a man. Choose your masculinity- it's God's gift to you, your family, the Church, and the world.  

Be a MAN.