What does a man of God look like? This is the question I keep asking myself. I constantly keep this question in the back of my mind because a true man of God is what I so desperately strive to be. The problem with this question, however, is that a man of God can look so many different ways, and have so many different characteristics. If we look at great men of God in the Bible, there are numerous answers to what a man of God should look like; some of the greatest men in the Bible had drastically different personalities and character traits. Considering this, the question stands: what does a man of God look like? I put together a quick list of the men I admire the most throughout the Bible as well as some of their most evident characteristics:
Moses – Man of Humility: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” ~ Numbers 12:3
Joshua – Man of Strength & Courage: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” ~ Joshua 1:9
David – Man After God’s Own Heart: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” ~ Acts 13:22
Job – Blameless Man: “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil”” ~ Job 1:8
Daniel – Man of Prayer: “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” ~ Daniel 6:10
Paul – Man of Patience: Brought to the Lord through the Gospel ~ Acts 9, 22, & 26
Abraham – Man of Great Faith: ~Nearly every action in Abraham’s life shows his great faith in God. He cast out a son, Ishmael when Sarah and God commanded it ~ Gen. 21:9-14. He was willing to offer Isaac, the son of promise, when God demanded it ~ Heb. 11:17-19.
John – Man of Boldness: Mathew 14:3-12, He was beheaded for the sake of the Gospel.
Boaz – Man of Protection: “Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women who work for me. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you” ~ Ruth 2:9
Nehemiah – Man of Focus: “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days” ~ Nehemiah 6:15
For these men, the characteristics I listed were not their only ones. They each had numerous Godly traits that showed in and through them, as well as in others around them throughout their stories. These were men of God, nothing less.
So, what does a Godly man look like today? Well, nothing has changed, yet everything is different. We can’t look like all of these men at once because we are our own individuals; we are not them. For each of them, being a man of God was different and therefore entailed something different. For us, it’s the same: we are different versions of Godly men.
Considering this, however, we as men of God do need some key characteristics in order to be dangerous and effective for the kingdom.
- STEP UP: Lead. Initiate. Be a man of action. Assume it is your job and your moment. Hate apathy. Reject passivity.
- SPEAK OUT: Silence in the midst of sin is a sin. Be courageous. Fear God, not man. Speak the truth in love.
- STAND STRONG: Don’t give in when you are challenged, attacked, or criticized.
- STAY HUMBLE: Be vigilant against pride. Get the log out of your eye. Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less.
- SERVE THE KING: Seek first His Kingdom, His glory, His righteousness. Hope in the eternal. Live for a greater reward.
Men, if we focus on these five points in our own lives, being or becoming your own man of God will come much more easily. This world desperately needs dangerous Godly men who are effective in bringing the kingdom everywhere we go and in everything we do. I know what you may be thinking: I’m 20, I don’t have much life experience, I’m not married, and I don’t have kids. I have, however, watched and learned from plenty of Godly men in my own life. I believe in the saying “everyone you meet has something to give you, and you have something to give them.” I have learned and received Godly characteristics from men in my life and I thank them for that; however, I have many more to work on and learn.
Being a man of God is no easy task – it is not for the weak, it takes guts, and it is a constant process. I have learned I am a weak man when I try to stand alone, but with God I am strong, I am dangerous, and I am on fire. So bring it on, world, I’m a man of God.
