What is a godly man? How much time should a dad spend with his kids? How do you balance work, family time, and church involvement? These are regular questions asked by good men seeking to love their families and honor God in local churches, and being everything to everyone can seem like a daunting task. If you are trying to figure out what it looks like to be a godly man, father, and/or husband, here are a few characteristics that I have noticed in godly men.
Godly Men Are Busy
They’re busy because they get up and go to work every day. If you work from 8-5, you only have a few extra hours every day to do the other things that you have to do and the few things that you want to do. You go to work, but you still have to cut the grass, prioritize the church, and pick some kids up from practice somewhere.
Godly Men Are Tired
Godly men–especailly fathers–are tired because they have a lot on their plates. They are trying to balance family, work, and church, and it is hard. They don’t get as much sleep as they want, but that is because they have prioritized their family and their commitment to the church over their own comfort.
Godly Men Prioritize Church
The godliest men I know are regular church attenders. They take God’s word seriously, so they do not forsake to gather with their church (Hebrews 10:25). These guys just show up. They show up in the nursery or at the front door greeting people. Some of them lead adult LifeGroups. Some of them teach children’s classes every week. But, one thing that is common, they prioritize their church family and church attendance.
Godly Men Love God’s Word
Really, they do. They love it. Even guys who don’t love to read, find a way to love and consume God’s word. They listen to it on their bible app while driving to work. They discuss it with their wives, they steal a few minutes on their lunch break to try and understand a couple of verses out of Romans. Maybe they get up 10 minutes early every morning just so they can read two chapters before work. These guys enjoy preaching and learning in their small groups. God’s word makes a difference in their lives.
Godly Men Love Their Families
Godly men love their families and love spending time with their families. They do things with their wife and kids. I regularly find these guys planning vacations, taking their kids hunting, and coaching little league teams. This does not mean that godly men make every game or get to be home for dinner very night. Your job or other responsibilities may take you away from the things that you want to do from time to time, but godly men make time to love their families. They love their families in word and deed.
Godly Men Support Their Families
Paul is very explicit about this in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Godly men get up and go to work to feed their families. Are there exceptions? Of course, there are those who are disabled and as a result, they’re not able to work, but able-bodied men are expected to support their families financially. What kind of work do godly men do? They are farmers, bankers, electricians, realtors, mechanics, and teachers. That’s right, godly men often get their hands dirty to provide for their families and to exercise dominion in the world that God has given to them. Going to work to support your family is an exercise in godliness, and it is one that godly men do not neglect.
Godly Men Pray
Godly men know that they will not succeed at life on their own. They’re not interested in pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps, they rely on the Lord to lead and guide them. Godly men make time to pray for others and for their own walk with the Lord.
Godly Men Keep Going
Remember, that pursuing Christ and seeking to honor him is no guarantee against difficulty in your life. But, godly men persevere. When marriage is hard, they keep going. When kids are difficult, they continue to love. When the job is challenging or the boss is a jerk, they get up and go to work anyway because they have a family that is depending on them. Godly men persevere.
So, if you are reading this and trying to honor God as a man, a husband, and a father, don’t quit. It isn’t always easy, but it isn’t rocket science either. You’re busy. Your’e tired. But, you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to be super-human. You have a God-given responsibility to lead and love, so get busy. The world needs men of God to not quit. Your wife needs you to keep going. Your kids need you to stick it out.
Excellent!