Godly men. What makes a godly man? Some of these points will be familiar if you have gone through my Ten Keys to godly leadership, but a lot of these will represent the very core of what we would call a “godly man”. The world thinks of a man as one that has pride, strength, leadership, physical and sexual. These are characteristics of a worldly man not a godly one.
A godly man is in the Book!
- The godly man has the Bible near and dear to his heart. He is in it not just on days of worship, but every day. As often as he can! If you are like me I hate reading. No matter how hard I try I can start something and struggle through it and after quitting multiple times over a period of months I finally finish the book. I make it intentional never to do that with God’s Word! God’s Word is the core of Christianity and should not be an option, it should not be taken lightly, and most of all it should not be ignored! A man without the guidance and direction of God’s Word is not a godly man! The Bible commands us to read it and to study it!
- Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read:
- 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
- 1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
- The godly man has the Bible near and dear to his heart. He is in it not just on days of worship, but every day. As often as he can! If you are like me I hate reading. No matter how hard I try I can start something and struggle through it and after quitting multiple times over a period of months I finally finish the book. I make it intentional never to do that with God’s Word! God’s Word is the core of Christianity and should not be an option, it should not be taken lightly, and most of all it should not be ignored! A man without the guidance and direction of God’s Word is not a godly man! The Bible commands us to read it and to study it!
A godly man prays!
- This is another characteristic that should never be taken lightly and should never be optional! Communication is a two way street! Prayer is another core requirement in the life of Christianity! The Word of God says it is a sin not to pray! Prayer can always be improved. Prayer is a learned skill that takes practice and understanding of who God is. If we are not in God’s Word, then we will not be able to understand how to pray. There is something about a man who is on their knees in prayer it is even more amazing when you have more than one man on their knees in prayer together! So many times we see the women praying more than men. This is something that needs to change. We need to be intentional and on our knees, not just praying as we go about our daily task. We need to make God a priority in our lives by setting aside time on our knees with nothing else but prayer.
Pray
- Pray for your wives, future wife, your children, and your future children in addition, pray for your friends, and yes even your enemies!
- Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
- Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 1 Samuel 12:23
- I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8
- Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Pray for your wives, future wife, your children, and your future children in addition, pray for your friends, and yes even your enemies!
A godly man loves his wife as Christ loved the church!
- You may be reading this and saying, “I am not married.” but have a girlfriend that you are living with like you are married. Wrong. You may not even have a girl friend and that’s ok. To those that have no relationship, please listen to this closely! Don’t ever take second best in a relationship, get married based upon emotions, and most importantly don’t put God second in a relationship. Save yourself for that special person AFTER you get married! Your future wife NEEDS to be born again! If she is not born again, walk away! Do not think for an instant you can convert her. You don’t save people, Jesus does! Now back to to the married man. Men, wives are emotional and wives are the weaker vessel regardless of how strong she thinks she is! Men you need to LOVE your wives as Christ loved the church!
What does Christ do with the church?
- He LOVES the church unconditionally! Yes even when we are unlovable and we curse Him and drag Him through the mud. He loves us anyway!
- Jesus SACRIFICED for us! He gave His life for us even while we were yet sinners!
- He MINISTERED to us not expecting to be MINISTERED to, to serve not to be served! We need to serve our wife! Jesus washed the feet of the disciples that walked through the filth and grime of this world!
Marriage
- As a married man you may think your marriage is dysfunctional, distant, or desperate for repair. Let me say this, marriage is for eternity! Marriage is not and never will be beyond repair. Hosea married a whore and still stayed married! Two of the most destructive words in a marriage. PRIDE and SELFISHNESS! If any one or both of these come’s between you and your wife. It’s time to change! Fight for your marriage! Will it be hard? Yes! Will it be emotional? Yes, but God is so much greater! I did not get to twenty-five years of marriage easily. As I approach year twenty-six it is still not easy! It takes WORK, commitment, unconditional love and sacrifice!
Love your wife!
- My wife is my life, my wife is my love, my wife is everything to me regardless of how bad it can be. I was unfaithful to my wife seven years into my marriage and we are still married. We fixed what was broken. My pastor once said, “The grass is not greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it!”
- Ephesians 5:25-29 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
- Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
- Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
- John 13:3-9 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; (4) He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. (5) After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (6) Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? (7) Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. (8) Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
- My wife is my life, my wife is my love, my wife is everything to me regardless of how bad it can be. I was unfaithful to my wife seven years into my marriage and we are still married. We fixed what was broken. My pastor once said, “The grass is not greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it!”
A godly man is humble!
- humility in a man? That is not normal according to the world. In fact, it is more like weakness. Humility is something that goes against the very essence of man. But understand this, humility is a learned skill too. It takes intentional thought and action to accomplish this. Jesus was humble! After Paul became born again, he was humble! Humility means a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness. Making yourself second over everyone else! I remember a time when I was leading a men’s softball and coed softball group. We lost every game, but regardless of the loss I wanted to make sure that we stayed positive and was there to do one thing. Glorify God and have fun doing it in humility! Humility is attractive. Humility reveals Christ in us!
- Colossians 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
- Matthew 19:16-17 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (17) And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
- humility in a man? That is not normal according to the world. In fact, it is more like weakness. Humility is something that goes against the very essence of man. But understand this, humility is a learned skill too. It takes intentional thought and action to accomplish this. Jesus was humble! After Paul became born again, he was humble! Humility means a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness. Making yourself second over everyone else! I remember a time when I was leading a men’s softball and coed softball group. We lost every game, but regardless of the loss I wanted to make sure that we stayed positive and was there to do one thing. Glorify God and have fun doing it in humility! Humility is attractive. Humility reveals Christ in us!
In conclusion, what other characteristics of a godly man do you have? Please comment below and let me know!
Look up Bible verses here.