The Right Kind of Men

Every Christian man needs three types of men in his life. We all need a man like Paul to serve as a godly example. Paul was the quintessential leader who was always taking young servants of God under his wings to teach them the work of God (i.e. Timothy, Titus, etc.) Paul was not ashamed to encourage others to follow his example, because he was convinced he was following Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He was well aware that there were many people who were watching intently everything he did (2 Timothy 3:10-11). I am convinced with all my heart, that one of the greatest blessings of my life has been the opportunity to be surrounded by great men of God who have faithfully preached the Word for many years. The example these men continue to set for me is invaluable in my service to the Lord.

Every Christian man needs a man like Barnabas in his life. We all need that contemporary who is willing to work beside us and who will go to bat for us in any circumstance (Acts 9:27). We need men who we trust to be brutally honest with us. That friend who will stand up and tell us the truth, even when it may not be what we want to hear (Acts 15:2). There have been times in my life when some of my dearest friends have told me what I needed to hear, which was not necessarily what I always wanted to hear.

Every Christian man needs someone like Timothy in his life. He needs someone into whom he is building and pouring his life. Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1). Paul was constantly encouraging, challenging, and instructing him. It was Paul’s conviction that if the Gospel message was going to be passed along to future generations it would have to be through faithful servants who are impacted by seasoned men of God (2 Timothy 2:1-2). With each passing year, I become increasingly aware of the need to encourage and help younger men who want to be servants of God.

My prayer for you, regardless of your age, is that you have several of each of these types of men in your life. We will all do better by surrounding ourselves with others who love God and who are committed to serving Him.