Equipping the Warrior - Leadership Devotional for MenSample

Purposefully Man!

God made Adam a grown man on the sixth day of earth’s creation. Think about it. Adam was equipped with a fully developed brain. A brain used to reason and hold communion with God from the onset. He wasn’t going through puberty. Adam’s muscles and strength were developed day one. He was able and willing to put his mind and hands to work. God gave man his first home, eastward in Eden. God provided careful instructions to Adam about his responsibilities and his first job, naming all the animals. Adam possessed dominion over his new world. God needed a fully grown man to live in this world to tend it, and keep it, and nothing has changed.

The words “tend” and “keep” encapsulate the role of Adam and every man since. God made man with a purpose in mind and designed him to fill that role.  The words “tend” and “keep” are probably easier to understand if we use the words “serve” and “protect.”  God made Adam with the intent of filling the role of server and protector of the world. Adam was to serve and protect the garden home, providing a good quality of life for his family. He was to serve and protect the animals by carefully examining and naming each one exercising effective dominion over the world. Adam was to also serve and protect the relationship between humans and God. Through careful obedience to God’s commands, the relationship between God and man as well as between humans would be eternally beneficial. But as we know, something terrible happened! Adam did not live up to his role. He failed to obey God’s command to be a man! Adam failed to serve and protect what was rightfully his to serve and protect.  But God hasn’t changed His mind. Man can still fill his role through the power of God and serve and protect what is rightfully his to serve and protect.

Purposefully Man! Your role is to serve and protect the dominion, relationships, and quality of life of your family, church, and community. You will not be complete until you understand and experience the purpose that comes from fulfilling the role that God intended. What are you lacking? Ask God for the power and courage to fulfill your role. Please do not settle! What is yours to protect and serve, God intends for you to protect and serve. Your family will thank you, your church will be grateful, and your community will finally see the light that God intended to shine through you!

Writer: Dr. Robert Peters III