Raising Men

God has given me a mighty job: raising men! This challenging assignment is all the more daunting since I am not the same gender as the offspring God has blessed me with.

Thankfully, God did not intend for me to take on this job alone. As co-partner in the task and father of the brood, Mike is an expert teacher in this field as well as an outstanding example for his progeny. Our sons will learn much more from watching and listening to him than they can ever learn by my teachings alone.

Furthermore, God has graciously provided our most important text book, the Bible, which speaks clearly and directly on the subject. With great delight, I recently discovered a biblical definition of genuine manliness.

In 1 Kings 2, an elderly King David exhorts Solomon, his son and heir to the throne, to prove himself a real man. He continues instructing not with advice on an effective exercise regimen to build up muscular strength or with guidance in planning a successful and powerful kingdom. His wise words are much less complicated and more direct. He merely admonishes Solomon to walk in God’s ways and obey God’s commandments as written in the Bible.

In following David’s example, Mike and I challenge our sons to be real men by walking in obedience to God and His Word. To assist them in this goal, we teach them from the Bible everyday and help them understand its meaning. We encourage them to study Scripture on their own and seek counsel from us, as well as other Christian mentors.

Our boys will hear many opinions throughout their lives from books, the internet, teachers, friends, co-workers and spiritual leaders. We desire for them to evaluate what they hear according to God’s Word in order to distinguish truth from lies.

We also want our sons to be physically strong and encourage participation in recreational sports as well as regular exercise, including sit-ups and push-ups most days. Achieving a quality education in order to one day support a household is also important in our home. Academics are imperative, and we strive to maintain and complete our daily agenda and yearly objectives.

As a homeschool mom, I am both honored and obligated to educate my sons on many subjects. Yet what benefit is instruction in science, math, or literature if they have no clear understanding of how to become godly men? Although not to be neglected, all other subjects pale in comparison to this one.

True success in life will not be measured by their physical strength, athletic prowess, academic honors, or lucrative careers. We will certainly be proud of whatever our children accomplish during their lives, but no achievement will exceed that of walking in the Lord’s ways and obeying Him as enabled by the Holy Spirit through the grace of God.

Of course, our boys have not graduated into manhood yet. Sometimes rowdy, rambunctious, forgetful, and self-centered, they are works-in-progress. As a matter of fact, so are Mike and I, even with almost thirteen years of parenting on our resume. We are continually learning from the Lord and relying on Him every day to lead us as we carry on with our God-given assignment of raising men.

“… be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…” 1 Kings 2:2b-3