Joshua 1:9 – Be Strong and Courageous

“ 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

This is one of the first things people think of when they think of a man, strength.

The world’s version of a man is strong by his own means. Men of faith know that the weakness of God is stronger than human strength and so they turn to the Lord for their strength.

When we realize that the Lord is our strength and that He is with us wherever we go, we can walk into any situation with a true confidence that if God is with us no one can stand against us. This is the strength of real men of faith.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Most “successful” men we see in society, typically seem to be the most arrogant. Often this arrogance is merely used to disguise their insecurities.

As men of faith, we should find our security in our Lord Jesus Christ. When we do this we can recognize our dependence on Him and fully humble ourselves in his presence.

Not only does this scripture tell us that God shows favor to the humble but also that he opposes the proud. The reason the men in this world so often see their lives fall apart is that they are living in opposition to the Lord Almighty.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20

This a hard one for men and women but as men, being quick to listen is crucial. Not only will this one be a blessing in your relationships with others but more importantly in your relationship with Jesus.

This is one of those pieces of scripture that I have memorized so that I can always go to it whenever I am in conversation. Especially when said conversation becomes heated or passionate.

It’s interesting how James put being quick to listen before being slow to speak and slow to become angry. I have personally found, so long as I always focus on being quick to listen, being slow to speak and slow to become angry comes naturally.

The greatest change I have seen through being quick to listen is in my prayer life. The times when I’ve stopped pouring out requests to God and really spent time with him in silence are the times when I have been able to really hear that still small voice.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9

The battle for purity is one of the greatest battles any man will face. Everywhere we go the world seems to be trying to entice us. Trying to get us to sink into temptation.

With the rise of internet pornography, and every man carrying an internet-capable phone in their pockets, keeping Satan from tearing apart our relationships seems impossible.

According to Psalm 119, we have an advantage that the secular world is lacking. The word of God.

As men of faith, we need to be in the word daily and living according to what it says. James put it perfectly when he said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”.

If we are not living according to his word, the only person we are fooling is ourselves.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3

The world’s version of a man is a coward. Plain and simple. When times get tough instead of taking on the true role of a man, a leadership role, most men just run away.

This cowardice produces nothing more than broken homes and broken hearts. When we are made perfect in love, through Jesus Christ, that love drives out fear and we are able to face adversity head-on. This fearlessness produces perseverance.

James goes on to say in chapter one, that perseverance eventually brings us to maturity and completeness, not lacking anything. It’s this maturity that we see most lacking in men these days.

As men of faith, it is important that we face these trials head on because having stood the test, not only will it strengthen our relationships and hold our families together, but we will also receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love him.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

Surround yourself with other Christian men. There is so much we can learn from one another.

Most men spend their days at work surrounded by men who are living by the flesh. We need to take time to sharpen ourselves through fellowship with other Christians.

A lot of churches do men’s retreats or breakfasts, where you can go and spend time with other men of the faith. If your church doesn’t currently do either of these, maybe you can step up and start a monthly breakfast or even a men’s small group.

Remember that even if you are living according to the word, and your life is going smoothly, you can always be used by God to sharpen someone else. It is almost more important for us surround ourselves with other Christians when things are going well, this world is lacking awesome examples of men of faith walking in the light.