4 minute read
A Biblical Man is Humble, Honest, and Kind
by Josh Pepper
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ... Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” -Ephesians 4:25, 32
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“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” -Philippians 2:3
It seems like everyone has an opinion on what a man is supposed to be. Some might say a man is strong and in good shape. Others may say a man is someone with a lot of success and money. Still others would tell you that a man is stoic, tough by nature, and cannot be easily hurt or taken advantage of.
Thankfully, we don’t have to look far for our example of manhood; God’s word gives us all the direction we need. It shows us that three vital elements to Biblical manhood are humility, honesty, and kindness.
Humility
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” -Philippians 2:3
There might not be any greater character trait a man can have than humility. After all, Jesus himself, the best example of Biblical manhood, “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:8) The Son of God made his own wants, desires, and rights lesser than yours and mine, dying on our behalf.
We will likely never be called to give our lives for another human being, but we are called as men to surrender our lives to Christ and follow his commands. However, humility goes much further than just following Jesus. His humility is our “why,” but our continued humility is our calling. Just like John the Baptist in John 3, we are called to make our lives less and less about ourselves and more and more about obeying Christ and caring for others.
What does this look like? Humility looks like putting others’ needs before our own, helping to serve the people around us, and remembering as the Apostle Paul once confessed, “there is nothing good in us apart from Christ.” Therefore, we have nothing to be proud of in our own merit.
Humility means there is no task we are too good to do in the service of others. Humility means, in short, that we have a right understanding of our position in this life: we are gloriously redeemed from our brokenness and sin, and by God’s continued grace, we are able to serve and bless others as we have been blessed.
Honesty
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” -Ephesians 4:25
We are called as Biblical men to speak truth in every situation. When we feel like lying, we are called to speak truth. When we feel like going back
on our word, we are called to be truthful. When we give testimony about another, we are called to speak truth. And when our friends need to be confronted in their sin, we are called to speak the truth. Speaking the truth is not always easy, but it is always good.
Kindness
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” -Ephesians 4:32
Oh, that more men would learn the art of kindness! Look at the verse above: be kind. Be tenderhearted. Forgive. It is hard to turn on a television or look on social media without finding someone being unkind. A man who is cold to his friends, refuses to feel the emotions of others, and cares only for himself is a man who lives an empty and unfulfilling life!
God’s Word commands us as men to defend those weaker than ourselves and care deeply for those we love. A Biblical man is tenderhearted, allowing his heart to experience the joys and pains of those he lives in community with, laughing and crying with the people he loves. And most importantly, we are called to forgiveness, the ultimate kindness. As God was kind and tenderhearted toward us, so we must be to every single person we come into contact with.
These three characteristics work hand in hand to protect a man in his walk with the Lord. Humility and kindness are our foundation. A right understanding of our position in this life, sinful men, covered by God’s Grace, shapes our view of God, ourselves, and others. Kindness in our hearts and compassion for one another aid us in finding biblical community, connection, and joy. Honesty is to be our disposition: that we speak and act with a passion for the truth, in our lives and the lives of those around us.
In your life, who is a man that you view as humble? What makes him humble?
Who is a man you view as kind?
What makes him kind?
Who is a man that you view as honest?
What makes him honest?
How can you begin to emulate the characteristics you see in these men in your own life?
Other thoughts and scriptures about humility, honesty, and kindness:
