God's Design for MenSample

Protective Men

I remember driving home from the hospital as a brand-new dad with my firstborn child, overly swaddled and well-strapped into her car seat.

Another driver cut me off, causing me to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him, and in that moment, it took extreme effort not to burst out of my car and drag him from his, throwing him to the ground while I shouted, “YOU ALMOST HIT MY KID!!”

I grew more comfortable and balanced in my role as guardian over my kids, but I’m guessing other dads can relate to the feeling. Men have a God-given and hardwired drive to protect, whether our own families or others in our world who need help.

Speaking broadly, God gave men size and strength over women, and we are expected to use it for good. That protection may be physical, verbal, financial, or otherwise, but as we have seen throughout this devotional, men are to use what we’re given for others.

In today’s passage, Nehemiah and his men are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Because some surrounding tribes are making threats, the men are forced to stand guard while they rebuild. Nehemiah reminds them of what is important as he calls on men to protect everything they hold dear.

We may not be living in a war zone, and picking up a sword may not be the calling on our lives. But all men are called to protect what they hold dear, whether it’s their family, home, or country. We protect with physical force, perhaps, but we also protect with our words, our example, our sacrifice, our peaceful resistance against injustice, and our standing up for what is right.

Jesus, the perfect Man, showed fierce protective instincts over people like the woman caught in adultery or the tax collector who was hated (John 8:2-11; Luke 19:1-10). He didn’t need to pick up a sword to bravely protect them with His words, reputation, and actions.

Men are at their best when they are protectors and guardians, not only over their loved ones but also their workplaces, churches, and even the world around them.

God’s design for men is that we use our God-given strength to watch over those more vulnerable, using what we’ve been given to keep others safe from harm, physical or otherwise. We become the protectors that God has made us to be when we do.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the calling to be a protector in this world, just as You are a protector over me. Give me the courage and boldness to watch over those needing protection and the strength to act when needed. Amen.

Reflection: What is a small way you can let someone know you have their back today?