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How to be a Man - A Father's Advice to his Son

If you do a quick internet search of "How to be a man" or "What does it take to be a man" you will find a ton of websites and articles that offer varying thoughts and opinions about what it means to be a man.  Most of them are unique but primarily center on several key "ingredients" to what the world considers qualities that make someone a man.  In reading those, they primarily center on how we make a living and earn money, how we treat others (including our family), how we mature and handle emotions like anger, and even to how we dress, talk, and walk. 

Raising a son to be a godly man in this world is a challenge.  So much so that I can only imagine the difficulties that we will face once our daughter arrives.  So what advice should a father give his son today on how to be a man?  Should I use the most recent or most liked article online about manhood?  Or could I use something written between 561 - 538 B.C. that still holds true today?

As David was approaching death, he passed along these wise words of wisdom to his son, Solomon, in 1 Kings 2:2-4; "I am about to go the way of the earth.  Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever your turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel."

1.  David offered encouragement.  He told Solomon to be strong and show himself a man because he knew the challenges Solomon would face. 

2.  David offered instruction.  He instructed Solomon to follow God and his commandments, not the suggestions of man or the desires of his own heart.  Following God will lead to true prosperity.

3.  David taught Solomon God is trustworthy.  David trusted God's promises and told Solomon that if he followed the Lord, that God would keep his promise to his people. 

4.  David offered a legacy.  As a father, I have thought about what legacy I can leave behind for my child(ren).  Do we want to leave behind money, a sprawling estate, a mountain of debt, or do we want to leave behind something that truly matters, a legacy of Christian homes and families?

I am grateful for all the lessons my dad has taught me and continues to teach me.  I pray that I can pass them along to my kids.  If Christian parents will begin and continue to encourage and instruct our children then maybe, just maybe, one day we can become a Christian nation that values godly things instead of chasing after that fruitless things of the world.

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