God's Design for MenSample

Honoring Men
Not every man has kids, but every man was a kid to his parents.
Our parents may not still be with us today, or they may not have been around when we were young, or they may not have been very good ones.
But, whether they were good or bad, present or absent, living or passed on, it doesn’t change the fact that every single one of us exists because a man and a woman joined themselves together and, by the grace of God, our life was the result.
Every man is a son, and as a son, he is called to honor his earthly parents.
Today’s main verse comes to us from the Fifth Commandment. In the Old Testament, cursing your folks literally led to a death sentence (Exodus 21:17), emphasizing the great value that God places on a man honoring his parents.
The call to honor never changes with age. In fact, there is a “circle of life” in which a man is born, cared for by his parents, and released into the world. Then, as his parents age, the roles reverse, and the man cares for them in their final years, as they once cared for him.
Jesus, the perfect Man, showed honor to His earthly parents (Luke 2:51; John 19:25-27); even being Lord over them, He treated them with the respect they were due.
The call to honor is more challenging when parents have hurt us or were dismissive or abusive. If dad wasn’t around, honoring feels impossible.
But we can honor even absent parents. And in the case of the most challenging parents, honor could be as simple as not gossiping about or slandering them. By all means, talk out issues with a few discrete people you trust, but don’t broadcast their shortcomings to the world.
We honor them because God calls us to honor them, and because we are grateful; even if they were difficult or painful or absent, they gave us life, and we owe them that much at least.
And for those parents who gave us more than that, we honor them in gratitude for all they did.
Men are at their best when they respect their parents properly and thank them for all they have given.
God’s design for men calls them to be good sons, whatever the circumstances, and to show parents the honor that is due.
Prayer: Father, I give you thanks for my parents and for using them to create me as their son and Your son. I am grateful for what they did for me and forgive their shortcomings. Help me walk in honor towards them and support them as they need it. Amen.
Reflection: What is a way you can show honor to your parents today? If they are not with us, how can you show honor to another leader in your life?
About this Plan

The term "toxic masculinity" has been used to call out men's sinful behavior, but it doesn’t inspire men to greater things. We need a vision of masculinity that is good, biblical, and Christ-like—God’s ideal design for men, all that He wanted them to be when He created them as men on purpose. Jesus, the perfect Man, shows us a perfect picture of what masculinity was meant for. God’s Son shows us what men should be aiming at, and God’s Word shows us how to get there in this 30-day devotional! Written by Chris Walker.
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We would like to thank Impactus for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.impactus.org
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