God's Design for MenNäide

Discipling Men

Jim Elliot was a missionary who famously died in the jungles of Ecuador when he and several fellow missionaries were killed by the tribespeople they were attempting to share the Gospel with.

We admire him and his team (and many others like them over the centuries) for going into hostile places to share Jesus with those who had never heard of Him, even at significant personal risk.

The courage of Jim and his friends would inspire any man, as we respect their bravery and their willingness to leave everything they loved behind, all for the sake of the Gospel!

And as men, we have to ask ourselves:

When was the last time I even invited someone to church?

Jim Elliot wasn’t any different than you or me. He was a man, just like us. And yet he found the strength to take a significant risk in sharing his faith. That strength is available to us, too—but will we do anything with it?

In today’s verse, Jesus gives us the Great Commission, the command to “go” and “make disciples” of everyone on earth. We may not be called to the jungles of Ecuador, but we are most certainly called to our families, workplaces, social circles, and communities, sharing the Good News and helping others know and follow Christ.

Jesus, the perfect Man, was never afraid of speaking truth, proclaiming who He was or what He was going to do through His death and resurrection (e.g., Luke 9:22). He was endlessly bold in telling others about the Kingdom of Heaven, and never hesitated to let people know the Good News that was happening because of Him.

Men are at their best when they are as bold in sharing their faith as Jim was, even if the risks are less. We are not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16), and men should live our lives demonstrating to the world that we are not ashamed.

God’s design for men is that we would find the boldness of the Jim Elliots of this world, wherever God has planted us, and to shamelessly and unapologetically tell others the reason for the hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15-16)—that those who don’t know Him yet may come to know Him and know the mercy, grace, and love that He offers.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the privilege of sharing my faith and making disciples! Open the doors of opportunity to share, and give me the strategy and boldness to do so. Amen.

Reflection: Find a small way to share Jesus with someone today!