God's Design for MenSample

Courageous Men
In 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia hit a reef and began to sink.
The vessel's captain quickly abandoned ship and left passengers to their fates instead of helping save them, violating his duty and the maritime code of honor, which states that a captain is the last man off the ship.
He was vilified for deserting his post and failing in his responsibilities, and he was ultimately sentenced to 16 years in prison for the disaster, which killed 32 people.
We get angry with this man because he didn’t do his duty, but more so, because he lacked courage. Instead of charging into the danger, as was his occupational calling, he ran the other way.
No one can blame him for his fear; goodness knows we all might feel the same way in that moment.
But we admire men who might feel that fear—and then find their courage anyway. The cops and firefighters who run towards the problem, the soldiers who stand strong in the danger, the leaders who make the hard calls and stick to their guns—what man doesn’t admire these brave examples?
In today’s verse, God calls Joshua to “be strong and courageous” as he steps into a dangerous leadership role—a phrase repeated several times, almost as if Joshua needed to hear it more than once.
The phrase is grounded not in Joshua working harder to summon more bravery, but in the truth that “the LORD your God goes with you.”
The LORD sits on His throne, powerful and worry-free, anxious for nothing and firmly in control of everything. Whenever He says, “Don’t be afraid,” it’s because He’s not afraid and already knows how the story ends. It’s much easier to be brave when God is in your corner!
Jesus, the perfect Man, stood firm against the crowds and critics and bravely “set His face” to go to Jerusalem and face His own excruciating death (Luke 9:51 ESV)—not because He wasn’t at times emotionally overwhelmed (Matthew 26:36-39), but because His Father was His courage and gave Him strength.
Men are at their best, not when they are fear- and worry-free, but when they find God’s strength with them to be brave regardless of circumstance.
God’s design for men is that we would stand strong against any danger, not because we are fearless, but because we are empowered and accompanied by the God who is.
Prayer: Father, thank You that I don’t need to be brave on my own, but that You are my courage. Give me Your strength to stand against wrong and danger, and to do what is right, no matter what I face. Amen.
Reflection: Looking around at the various areas of your life, what is one area that could use some extra courage right now? What is one step of courage you can take today?
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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