A Word to Young Men

On September 1, 2026September 2, 2026 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

In 1865, a bishop named J. C. Ryle wrote a book called Thoughts for Young Men. Don’t let the humble title fool you. Despite being a very short book, it was packed with powerful exhortations for young men of his day. But because Ryle used timeless, Christ-centered principles, that little book is still very relevant today. I’ve taken several young men through it who found it both bracing and helpful.

He started by saying, “Seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ… Till you know this, my warnings and advice will be useless, and your endeavors, whatever that may be, will be in vain.”

In a similar tone, I want to offer five exhortations to young men today, as a brother in Christ. Today, the challenges many men face are very different in one sense. We live in a much more tech-saturated atmosphere, and the temptations and distractions often look very different. But our calling as men remains the same: we must turn from self to Jesus Christ so that we can serve, lead, and bless others by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Turn from Self to Jesus Christ

In 1 Corinthians 16, the Apostle Paul counsels:

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, ESV)

For a young man to stand firm in the faith, he must first bow the knee to Jesus Christ. As Ryle pointed out, unless you are first born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, you cannot live out your God-given calling. So, break with sin, deny yourself, and surrender to the Lord who purchased your soul with His lifeblood on the Cross. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Some young men assume that being a Christian is following religious rules, respecting God and the Bible, or attending church services on Christmas and Easter. But the reality is that a profound change must take place in your soul. You must be made new.

You have to turn from the sins you’ve been indulging in and surrender your whole self to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You must know that His death is enough and that you are accepted, justified, and cleansed in the sight of God through faith in Christ alone. Only then, will your conscience be cleansed and your heart made new.

Fear God, not man

In our social media age, many young men desire approval online. They crave attention and admiration, but they should be craving fellowship with the God who made them. The Bible insists that the years of your youth are precious and few, and you’ll never get them back.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Youth is fleeting, hell is real, and there is no refund for wasted years. Rather than following the cultural compromises of our age, make it your ambition to know Jesus Christ every day more than the day before.

Put Christ at the center of everything you do in life. Seek His honor and glory, not your own. Live for an audience of One. Live on mission as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Have a vision for your life that is bigger than yourself.

This doesn’t mean you should be a lone ranger. Find other men for community and accountability. You need to be in a band of brothers who are pulling in the same direction and want to see you succeed in faithfulness to Christ. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). A fire grows cold until you add more pieces of firewood. And those who isolate themselves are rarely on fire for Christ.

Receive your identity from Christ, not the world

Many reach for the phone in their pockets to answer their question: “Who am I really?” Reject the devil’s lie that you need to “find yourself” before you can really be the man God calls you to be. If you belong to Jesus, then you can already hear God’s blessing over your life: “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”

You don’t need to create your own persona. Your identity is secure in Christ, and His image is being renewed in you (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). If you base your identity on what the world says men should be, the goal posts will be constantly shifting. You’ll never know if you’ve done enough.

God doesn’t call you to merely be an alpha male who gets the girls and the applause. God calls you to embrace the humble mindset of a servant, like Jesus (Philippians 2:1-5). Instead of focusing on finding “the perfect girl” out there, aim to become the kind of sacrificial, servant-hearted man that a godly woman would want to marry. Worldly men think that by boasting and exaggerating their abilities they can impress others, but it actually reveals how fragile their sense of self really is.

Your identity in Christ is not fragile. On your best days and your worst days, you can say the same thing: “I am loved, known, redeemed, and governed by a King who will not give up on me.”

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.” (Philippians 1:6)

Choose commitment over consumption

Young men, God has a purpose for your life, and it’s not ultimately about you; it’s about His glory and your dependence on Him for everything. If you don’t find satisfaction in making everything about His glory, your hungry soul will turn elsewhere for joy.

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22, NIV)

Too many young men spend countless hours playing video games, looking at porn, scrolling social media, and smoking weed. They live as a consumer rather than a contributor. Many young men are floundering, and this is because they avoid making and keeping commitments.

Think about what Jesus did for you on the cross. He finished the work He was given. He did not quit early. My friend Rob recently used the phrase, “It’s about the last five percent.” In other words, a job done well is a job done completely. If you will be a man who keeps his word, finishes the degree, shows up on time, completes the project, and is dependable both on the job and at home, you will be ahead of most men today.

Many young men have this contagious fear of commitment, especially fear of committed relationships. I say “contagious” because oftentimes they hang with other men who also fear commitment. They affirm each other by saying, “You’re just keeping your options open.” But that’s not how God’s men live. They stand firm. They make promises and resolve to keep them. They commit to others. They serve the needs of others before themselves. That’s how Jesus lived.

He knew His mission in life: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He could say from the Cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). He didn’t quit before that last five percent. Because He finished His job, He had the authority to command those who follow Him to do their job (Matthew 28:18-20).

Submit to Scripture, not your feelings, as your highest authority

Feelings are real. We don’t want to downplay suffering or trauma. But young men need to know that feelings were never meant to be your authority. They alone do not tell you the truth about who you are.

Because we live in such a therapeutic culture, many young men feel that if something is uncomfortable, painful, or requires a lot from them, then it must not be for them. But the Bible says that God uses suffering to mold us and grow us into the men He wants us to become. Sometimes, as a man, your calling is to step into the discomfort and accept the suffering of life, not because pain is good in itself, but because it is building you into a Christ-shaped servant of God.

Consider the Apostle Paul’s example. That man suffered at a level you and I probably never will. Just read his journal of pain in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. After reading it, I guarantee your life will seem pretty cushy by comparison. Jesus Himself said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT). He said, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19, NIV).

Some young men have said things like, “I just don’t have peace about this decision yet.” Let me just give a friendly reminder that Jesus was sweating drops of blood the night before doing His work on the Cross. We shouldn’t assume our emotions can show us what we’re to be about. When Paul was heading to Jerusalem, he was warned by numerous people to turn back because suffering awaited him. Even the Holy Spirit told him suffering was coming! Here’s how he responded:

“I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:22-24, NLT)

All Paul knew was that God had called him to preach the gospel of a crucified and risen Savior no matter what. So, he assumed he’d have a cross to carry, too.

Instead of searching your feelings for the right answers, submit your mind to Scripture.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

Don’t neglect time with the Lord in His Word. You need it more than you need that protein drink or those supplements. You need it every day like a compass when you’re trekking through the woods. It’s that vital.

Take heart, man of God, He has not left you alone. Your Father is with you and for you in Christ. And He will be your Shepherd if you will stay among His faithful sheep.

If you have thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear from you!

Men of Consequence

On October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16, NLT)

Every man has a hunger for purpose. I’ve heard one man put it this way: “All men long to be men of consequence.” There is something deep within the soul of a man that longs to make a powerful impact on this world. This drive to make a difference is good, right, and God-given. However, there is a subtle and dangerous tendency for this desire to become misguided and destructive when it’s not properly channeled by the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

Men Long to Make a Lasting Impact

Paul reminds his young protégé Timothy—whom he calls “man of God”—to satisfy this purpose hunger in the will of God. Rather than simply telling Timoty to passively avoid sin, he charges Timothy with action-oriented commands like “Pursue righteousness,” “Fight the good fight of the faith,” and “Take hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:11-12). In other words, if this desire to make a difference is corrupted by selfishness and a bloated ego, it will backfire and cause more harm than good. But if this hunger for significance is directed by God’s power and purposes for a man laid out in Scripture, he can make a powerful impact not only in this life but in the life to come.

Many Hollywood films speak to this hunger in a man’s soul. In the movie Gladiator, the great general Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, rallies his troops for battle with these words:

“Hold the line! Stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium [Heaven], and you’re already dead! Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.”

When I first saw Gladiator, I found that line compelling: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

Many passages in Scripture speak to this same desire to make a lasting impact.

“Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

“To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.” (Romans 2:7, CSB)

Men Are Created as the Image and Glory of God

Many men today have been counted unworthy by our worldly and godless culture not for anything they have done but simply for being men. They are told that their desire to be strong and masculine is “problematic” and “toxic.” Rather than seeing the goodness of strong and courageous men, our world tends to blame them for so many ills of society. Granted, many men have displayed toxic behavior. They have lived according to their lusts for power and pleasure. And whenever men pursue power and pleasure as ends in themselves, this results in devastating consequences for others, particularly the women they should have been cherishing and protecting. Men who have used their strength either to assault or take advantage of women should rightly be charged and prosecuted.

However, in an effort to expose and dismantle this toxic version of masculinity, many have attempted to stigmatize masculinity altogether. To take just one example, when movie director James Cameron discussed his previous films with The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted he now thought testosterone was downright dangerous because it made men wild and untamed risk-takers. Discussing his previous films, including the Terminator series, Cameron said:

“A lot of things I did earlier, I wouldn’t do—career-wise and just risks that you take as a wild, testosterone-poisoned young man. I always think of [testosterone] as a toxin that you have to slowly work out of your system.”[1]

From the biblical perspective, such a quest to emasculate manhood and reengineer men into some kind of androgynous being is both foolish and harmful. God created men as men. He created mankind as “male and female” on purpose from the beginning, not as an evolutionary afterthought (Genesis 1:27).

He calls men to “act like men” (1 Corinthians 16:13). In doing so, God was not calling men to be self-centered pigs who are enslaved to their lusts. This seems to be how many influential voices in the culture view masculinity. But if God viewed masculinity as inherently toxic, He wouldn’t have charged men to act like men or called men “the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7).

Men Need to Be Redeemed by Jesus Christ

The real problem is that our mainstream culture does not have a doctrine of original sin. Masculinity is labeled inherently “toxic” because of the sinful proclivities of men. But the Bible teaches us to view the world through the lens of the story of creation-fall-redemption-restoration. A man’s masculine nature is part of God’s good design at creation.[2] Men became sinners through the fall, and that is why we see men using their strength for evil.[3] But Jesus Christ, the God-man, came to redeem sinners, among whom are men and women.[4] Today, Jesus calls men to embrace their God-given nature as He restores them in His likeness.[5] Redeemed men must boldly stand for Christ in a lost and dying world that has forgotten the great value of men.

If you don’t understand that the problem is what sin has done to men, then you will identify the problem as men themselves, a foolish and ultimately demonic conclusion.

Having been told that their desire to be aggressive, courageous, and heroic is either stupid or troublesome, many young men resort to living out their dreams in the virtual world of video games while snacking on Cheetos in their mom’s basement. Men, if that’s been your reality, my goal isn’t to shame you but to assure you that God calls you to something far greater.

Men Are Called to Be Strong and Courageous

God wants men to live with intentionality and purpose. He wants us to have a God-centered perspective on life, seeing things in the big picture.

There are real evils in this world, and men are called to be at the frontline to stop evil with courage and conviction. When a man has bowed the knee to Jesus and is filled with the Spirit of power, he can rule over his own ungodly desires and stand for truth in a culture that has been massively deceived.

If you are a man, know this: Your desire to make a difference—to be a man of consequence—is good and right. Jesus values you. And as the ultimate Man, Jesus models for you perfectly what true masculinity looks like when we submit ourselves to God the Father and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

The church of Jesus Christ is to be a place where men are welcomed, called to be fully alive, and not shamed for who God made them to be. The world may try to shame masculine men as “toxic,” encourage men to be weak and passive, and may even call testosterone a “toxin,” but God says to men:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

Photo courtesy of David Liff.

[1] https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/avatar-director-james-cameron-says-testosterone-is-toxic-masculine-twitter-calls-him-beta-male-article-96001279 Accessed on October 10, 2023.

[2] Genesis 1:27, 31

[3] Ecclesiastes 7:29

[4] 1 Timothy 1:15

[5] Ephesians 4:22-24

True Manliness

On November 10, 2022November 11, 2022 By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Have you heard of Moto-X freestyle motocross? It’s the sport where guys jump motorcycles over buildings and hang from the handlebars with their feet as they somersault their bikes 50 feet in the air. It’s incredible to watch some of the videos of these daredevils. Brian Deegan is the most decorated champion of Freestyle Motocross in X-Games history. But the most important thing about Deegan is that he is a follower of Christ.

In 1997, Deegan formed the Metal Mulisha, a freestyle Motocross team, which over the next 8 years became known for their wild success in jumping competitions, and also for their violent and rebellious spirits. Their focus seemed to be on motorcycles, alcohol, drugs, sex, and fighting. Then three things happened that forever changed Deegan’s life.

First, his girlfriend became pregnant and wanted to keep the baby. Second was a botched high-speed midair backflip in the 2006 X-Games that nearly killed Deegan and led to months of physical rehab. And third, Deegan finally agreed to go to church with his girlfriend. To his surprise, he didn’t hate it. In fact, before long, he came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. After this, he married his girlfriend and began to make some major changes in his life, like quitting drinking and drugs.

Beyond this, he even started a Bible study with the Metal Mulisha bikers. Before long, many in this rough and wild group were coming to faith in Christ. One of his buddies put it like this: “[Deegan] kept telling us how much the Bible changed his life… I felt like I had to listen.”[1]

The cool thing is that out of all this, Deegan has come to see the need to be the man that God has called him to be. In his words, “I had kids and I have to be a role model to represent to my kids… I had to grow up, had to be a man, had to be a father, and so I did it, dude.”

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful thing, the very “power of God for salvation” according to the Bible (Romans 1:16). It can transform a foul-mouthed, alcohol-abusing drug user into a man who wants to be all that God has created him to be.

That brings up an important question for today. What is it that God calls men to be?

God’s Blueprint for Masculinity

I have a real passion for men’s ministry and encouraging men in their walk with Christ. My prayer is that the men of my generation would step up to be the men God has created them to be. I firmly believe that much of the chaos and corruption we see in our society today in the 21^st century can be traced back to men failing to act like men.

There are many half-baked ideas out there about what true manliness looks like. Some guys think manliness is defined by how many pounds you can bench press or how many guns you own or how many mountains you’ve climbed or how many women you’ve slept with. When we think of manliness, Hollywood faces like John Wayne, Bruce Willis, and Harrison Ford come to mind.

In one John Wayne movie, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, the Duke portrays the rough n’ tough Captain Brittles. One line he repeats is, “Never apologize! It’s a sign of weakness.” Based on images like that, we could think that manliness is about never saying sorry.

But we as men need to come back to our Creator’s intent and design for manhood. Here’s something I know. As a man, you have a craving for significance. God put that desire in you. You know that as a man you have certain responsibilities that no one else can do for you. For many of us, that means being the husband that our wives need us to be.

Men are called to break free of those lousy stereotypes that our culture paints of men as irresponsible dopes who are incapable and incompetent.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

What are some things you notice about God’s creation of man here?

Men today need an identity, and that identity comes from God alone. We were made in God’s image, made to relate to Him, to know Him, and to lovingly lead and provide for others. From the very beginning, men have had a purpose: to bear the image of God, relate to God, and to rule over His creation. What so many men miss today is that apart from a relationship with God as Father, we will never know our true purpose.

Working and Keeping

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

What do you notice about man here? He has a calling to “work” and “keep”—or “protect” the garden. In other words, we as men are to work hard and cultivate the good. And remember, this is before the woman has even been created yet. So this is a charge specifically for the man. I’m not saying that women can’t garden. That’s not the point. This is about the responsibility God has given to men first and foremost.

Let’s examine those words. When you hear the word “work,” think of a gardener building up trellises, cultivating the soil, and planting seeds. That’s the picture here. The man is called to build up and develop the places God calls him to. That’s why you take so much satisfaction in seeing a project through to completion. That’s how God wired you. He designed men to be planters, builders, and growers. Whether it be at work, in the home, or in our relationships, God calls us as men to take the initiative to build up the places and people in our lives.

For starters, this means that we are not to be lazy. Wherever we are at in life, God calls us to excel. Christian men, of all people, should be the best employees. We shouldn’t be content with partial jobs. We should give our best effort day after day, and we should own it when we’ve messed up.

But this idea of working the garden extends to our relationships. In a marriage, it is the man’s responsibility to cultivate his relationship with his wife. In Ephesians 5, we see that the husband is called “the head of the wife” (Eph. 5:23), which simply means men are called to step up and be humble leaders in the home. The sad truth is that many men have been passive about their role in the home. But men are called to step up, take the hits when they come, and lead their wives and families.

I want to be the best husband to my wife and best dad to my boys I can possibly be. God is honored when we aim high and give our all, especially in these key relationships. Too many men have low expectations for themselves, and this should not be.

Humble Headship

Here’s what being the head of the home does not mean. It does not mean men get to be the ones who sit in the easy chair and bark orders like an insecure dictator. Instead, it looks more like the captain sacrificially leading the charge into battle. God calls husbands to love their wives even “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Leading doesn’t mean men have to have all the ideas. It can often sound like this, “Okay, here’s what I had in mind. What do you think?” Being the head of the home means that you are called to initiate times of prayer, crucial discussions, and encouragement for your family.

If you’re married, this means taking care to spend quality time with your wife, looking for opportunities to pursue her romantically even in your marriage. This doesn’t mean being open to the idea of spending time with your wife; it means making time for your wife! She needs to know that she is a top priority in your life. God calls men to purity and faithfulness.

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4)

Let me say something you already know: women are a mystery. They are a wonderful, confusing mystery to us! Just when you think you have your wife figured out, she will do something totally unexpected. That’s part of the joy of marriage.

We are constantly trying to understand them, and they will continue to baffle us for the rest of our lives. But men, this is a relationship we cannot afford to neglect. We have to work at our marriage. This will involve love and sacrifice on your part. How willing are you to make sacrifices for your wife and family and others you love?

It also involves encouraging her with your words. If you are married, you have more ability to build up your wife than anyone. Your encouragements and compliments carry a lot of weight. I heard a story about a couple sitting at a wedding reception. As the music swelled, a woman’s hopelessly romantic husband put his arm around her, leaned in, and softly said, “You are more beautiful than half the women here.” Yeah, maybe don’t use that line. You might end up on the couch after that one. Use the right words to build up your wife.

We are called to cultivate other relationships, too. Men, in particular, play an essential role as fathers and father figures. I say “father figures” because sometimes children don’t have a biological father in the picture. So, there are times, when other men who love Jesus are called to the role of nurturing and encouraging like a father would for that child. But children need fathers. Studies continue to bear this out—when children grow up deprived of a father, it leaves a massive hole inside. Even if they don’t realize it, they continue to ache for the love that only a father can give.

And remember, we aren’t just called to “work” but to “keep” the gardens of our lives. That means we are called to be the protectors. We are to care for our loved ones and watch out when physical or spiritual danger is near.

Genesis 3 records the story of the fall when the serpent approached Eve. But you know something tragic? What we often miss is that Genesis 3:6 says that after Eve ate the fruit “she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Did you catch that? Adam was right there “with her” when the tempter came.

Adam was failing in his God-given duty to step up and protect Eve. He was failing to be the head of the home and lead. He just passively watched everything unfold even though it was Adam that God had directly told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was told that “in the day you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Look, I’m not excusing Eve, because she knew what God said, too. But how tragic that Adam failed to be the man God designed him to be in that moment.

What are some other ways we “keep” or “protect”? We aren’t to let weeds grow in the gardens of our lives. We are to pull out the weeds of sin, lust, and anger. If you don’t actively work to protect your garden, weeds of all kinds will spring up.

So, to summarize: A man’s purpose is to live in relationship with God, to rule over creation under the rule of God, and that ruling involves working and keeping every area and relationship that God assigns us.

But here’s where we need to see something. Because we all know, none of us has been perfect in the areas of work, relationships, marriage, and parenting.

Restored Manliness

Before concluding, we need to consider Jesus Christ, because He is the Ultimate Man. Maybe you’ve never thought of Jesus as manly. You might have seen one of those old paintings where Jesus has a soft glow around his head, His eyes are sort of glazed over, and He almost looks like a little kid with a beard. But that’s not the Jesus of history. That’s not the real Jesus who is alive today. Jesus was and is the manliest Man you’ll ever meet. So because of that, we need to look to Jesus for our definition of manhood.

Jesus didn’t fail in the work God assigned Him. Not only did He show love to others and care for the sick and the needy, He did the ultimate work of going to the cross for us. Jesus loved us so much, He went through with the ultimate sacrifice of dying so that you could be forgiven. When you consider all the ways you’ve failed to live as the man God created you to be, you need to see that God never gave up on you.

As He hung on the cross, Christ willingly took all our failures and sins on Himself. He died to pay the debt we owed to God. And you know what Christ said in His final breath from the cross? “It is finished” (John 19:30). In other words, the work of salvation was finished. And because Jesus completed that work, we can be forgiven of our failures and made new creations in God’s sight. This is why it all begins with surrendering your life to Jesus.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When men don’t get their identity from God, they will look in all the wrong places. They will find their identity in sports, career, or sexual encounters. But when we get our identity from Christ, we let Him define true manliness for us.

The world might say that manliness is about how many fights you’ve won, how reckless you are, and how much you can drink. That’s what Brian Deegan once thought. But now he understands that true manliness is about living a life yielded to Christ, taking your identity from Him.

True manliness isn’t about never apologizing to anyone. It’s about loving others, taking an interest in others, and making sacrifices for others. When we do that, we are pointing others to Jesus Christ. This is God’s calling for men.