My cousin asked me to write on this topic – close to two years ago. This is probably one that I would have avoided for a very long time.
My first thought was: how can I talk about courageous men and not discuss King David. Then it occurred to me, how can I not talk about Job? There are so many courageous men in the bible, but I don’t have the wisdom or knowledge to talk about them all, so I’ll stick with David and Job, two of my favorite bible men.
King David: God said he was a man after God’s own heart. Wow. What a description! What gets me is that David was far from perfect. There are so many instances where David gets himself into trouble, and sins. He got someone’s wife pregnant, after lusting after her, and then sent her husband to the front of the battle lines to be killed. Did God wink at this sin? No. Absolutely not. They lost their “love child” as a result of this sin. But the thing that set David apart was his attitude of recognizing where he was wrong and seeking forgiveness for his sins.
David’s life was far from perfect. Before he became king, he spent many years running for his life from King Saul, hiding in caves, and living in fear of his life. But.. he had been anointed to become the next king of Israel, and even though it took many years between the time that he was anointed and ultimately became king, God was faithful to the promise He had made.
Job: oh to have the patience of Job! I’m always asking God for patience. But Job exuded it. He lost his whole family (except his wife) along with his wealth, because the devil was trying to prove a point. He went through so much physically and his wife tried to convince him to curse God and die. He did not! He suffered through and in the end he was able to say “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:5. What a statement!! Through loss, devastation and complete heart break – Job was able to know God for who He was and not for the good gifts He gave.
I consider these men of God. God himself called David a man after his heart, and while Job questioned God, he never sinned. How do we follow their examples?
First, the man is truly the head of the household. The bible clearly tells us that he is to be the head of the household. Both of these men displayed these characteristics. The problem we are running into these days is that the woman is trying to take over the man’s role, and in some cases, the man hasn’t learned what his role is. There is to be submission on the part of the wife, but the husband is not to ‘rule’ with an iron fist. He is to love his wife like how Christ loves the church.
If you are a man who hasn’t fully learned your role as a husband, what do you do? You seek God first for wisdom. You seek out godly older role models that will guide and mentor you.
What if you are a woman who doesn’t know how to submit? The advice is the same. Seek God and godly role models.
And if you are single and searching for a spouse? Look for the quality that the person puts God first, yes, even before you; only then will they know how to treat you properly and you will be able to lead or submit according to what your role ought to be.
David and Job were courageous men. They weren’t perfect, but they led their homes as they were called to do, and they put God first and recognized when they were doing what they were called to do.
Lord, help our men to be courageous and to lead their homes as you’ve called them to lead with your wisdom and love. Help us as women to uplift our men and to allow them to lead while being there to help and support.