God's Design for MenSample

Loving Men

We all love a good movie where a man lays down his life for the cause.

Whether it’s William Wallace in Braveheart, Iron Man in Avengers, or the heroes of Saving Private Ryan (to name a few!), something about this level of dedication and sacrifice profoundly stirs the hearts of men.

Would we do the same? We’d all like to think so. We’d like to think we love enough to make that sacrifice.

Today’s verse, centered on Christ, shows us a snapshot of the biblical definition of love: that Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us, and we, in turn, should love enough to lay down our lives for others (1 John 3:16).

Love drove His actions (John 3:16). And if we love like He did, we are also called to sacrifice for the sake of those we love, even if our “dying” is symbolic instead of literal.

It may not be on the battlefield or defending our loved ones from a villain, as men’s imaginations tend to wander towards. Those are certainly glorious sacrifices.

But what about non-glorious sacrifice?

It’s not as celebrated, and no one will make a movie about it. But what about love showing up as sacrifice in smaller, everyday ways?

Showing up for work, even if you don’t like it, because your family needs the paycheck?

Taking a chore that she hates off your wife’s plate?

Coaching your kids’ soccer team, even though you don’t really have the time?

Serving in your church’s outreach ministry, even though it’s “not your gifting?”

The list could be endless, but the principle is easy enough:

Biblical love is sacrifice. Jesus died for us, and men need to “die” for those they love, too.

Jesus, the perfect Man, could not have modeled this better: sacrificing Heaven to live among us, spending His time on earth sacrificially serving others, and of course, showing the full expression of sacrificial love at the Cross (Romans 5:8).

Love was His great motivator, and sacrifice was how it showed itself.

Men are at their best when they live a life of other-centered, self-sacrificing love. When this love motivates this action, men do tremendous good in the world, and for the right reasons.

God’s design for men is that we, too, would live our lives motivated by love, putting others first, sacrificing for their sake, and, in so doing, glorifying God and making the world a better place by our actions.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your great love for me, shown most clearly through Jesus and the Cross. Help me to follow His example, loving others with that same sacrificial love. Amen.

Reflection: What is a small act of sacrifice you could make for someone else today? Go and do exactly that!