“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5
Earlier this week, we learned that men are prone toward either chauvinism or cowardice. So, what are men to do? The key is to understand the gospel. The perfect man is Jesus, the man that we were supposed to be like. Jesus, our great God and Savior, came into human history to live life as the perfect man. Men, we need to take our cue for masculinity from Jesus. Jesus took responsibility for Himself. He worked a job. He took responsibility for us. The cross is where Jesus substituted Himself and died in our place for our sins. We need to remember that our sins are our own fault, not Jesus’ fault. Yet, Jesus made them His responsibility. This is the essence of the Gospel. If you can understand this, it will change how you view masculinity. A man is not the one who can spit the farthest, punch the hardest, or yell the loudest. He’s the man who takes responsibility. Once you understand how Jesus’ masculinity has served us well as a covenant head, you will then realize that to be a man means to take responsibility as the head of the covenant of marriage.
So, men, take responsibility for your wife. Take responsibility for your kids. Take some measure of responsibility for your city. Being a man is not finding other people who can carry your load. Being a man is carrying your load, loving a wife and children, and carrying that load as well. By becoming a Christian gentleman, you realize that Jesus is the head of the new covenant and then He teaches you how to be the head of the marriage covenant. He makes you a member of the church. As you become a member of a church, you become part of the collective, not individual, bride of Christ. And as you follow Jesus, you learn how to lead and submit to spiritual authority so you can grow in wisdom and then be ready to love a woman for a lifetime.
We will end this devotional series with a prayer.
“Father God, I pray for the men. I thank you for the good men who love you. They are responsible and they are carrying their load, and they are sick of picking up the messes of little boys, chauvinists, and cowards. I pray, Lord God, that we would look like Jesus and not Adam, that we would love our wives as Christ loves the church. And I pray, Lord God, that the men would take whatever anger that they have and, rather than using it to foolishly fight, that they would use it to humbly repent. I pray that we would be men marked by repentance and love and God, I pray for those women and children who suffer under men who are cowards and chauvinists. May they speak up. May they have the courage to articulate their frustration. And Lord God, may it wreck good men in Jesus’ name.”
What is one practical step you can take to better honor your spouse in your marriage relationship?
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