Moses by Michelangelo. Consequence_s Photography under CC BY-SA 4.0.
No matter how good you are, everyone needs a coach or a mentor. Arguably, to be the best, you have to have a coach. Olympians, famous musicians, world leaders, company CEOs, you name it, all have people they can receive actionable advice from. They depend on their coaches as trusted council to provide a fresh perspective on challenges they are facing and as someone who will push them to become better. A group of people who could use mentorship more than most are young boys navigating the difficulties that come with individuating from their mother and father and growing into strong men. This is something I can empathize with.
Growing up, I lacked masculine, Christian role models. Attending Christian schools from first grade through undergrad, I was exposed to a number of Christian men, but very few (if any) truly masculine ones. In my personal life, I mainly had my father and uncle to look up to, but they were not the Godly examples I needed. Though I have much love for them, these two are men of unbridled masculinity that desperately need Christian temperance. As a young man who felt naturally drawn to Christian morality, I was left struggling to juggle two sides of my personality. I desired to emulate some of the worldly men in my life, but following their lead often left me feeling inauthentic as I feigned their behavior. Looking to the Christian men I was around, I found myself repulsed by their feminine tendencies. What I needed, but was unaware of at the time, was a healthy blending of the two. I needed the example of masculine men averse to excessive worldly indulgence and Christian men unafflicted with pathological altruism—the practice of helping others at the unnecessary expense of your own well-being. What I needed was the Bible.
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
Luke 6:40
I had read many of the Bible’s main stories in school, but my teachers never humanized the characters and so they seemed removed from my life. I would have never thought to look to these biblical patriarchs and servants of God for help in my own development. The Bible is full of accounts of righteous men with qualities to embody and wicked men with ones to guard against. On my path to manhood, it’s a shame I didn’t realize what guidance could be found in the Bible, because the absence of positive role models in my life certainly stunted my growth as a man.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.
Psalm 71:18
In a world that offers few role models, we often have none in our lives; men should look to those in the Bible for direction and mentorship inspired by God (I would encourage women to do the same in the analogue). To continue my own personal growth and to provide a more accessible examination of the legendary men to be found in the Bible, I’m starting my Men of the Bible series. I’ll aim to provide some light background on the characters for those who aren’t familiar before highlighting important lessons from their experiences. You can read the first article of the series, which discusses Adam, here.
I’m excited for the potential of this series to provide guidance to men who otherwise have no mentor on their journey. In this series, we can follow these pillars of faith who were led by God—the ultimate mentor and authority on masculinity.
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