Many men's magazines and books attempt to teach guys about manhood, but all of them fail to capture the very essence of a man. These, along with other sources, tell us that the substance of a man is determined by his looks, his possessions, his position in life, and perhaps what he can offer.

The Bible, however, says that's not what a real man is.

Real Manhood

Real men are those who love God and pursue Him. Regardless of all those "credentials" mentioned above, any man can choose to be a real man when he stands up to the plate and takes the place that God has designed for him: to be a man who follows God and does what pleases Him.

Of course, the Bible has several men who can serve as role models for all of today's men. From the Old Testament we have obedient Abraham, meek Moses, wise and forgiving Joseph, obedient Samuel, and God-fearing David among others. From the New Testament we have faithful Peter, tender John, passionate Paul, godly and courageous Stephen.

But of all the men who could be considered the perfect model of a man, there's no one better than Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man. He created man in His image, therefore He is the perfect measure and model of a man.

Now what should a man be doing? Here are some things that real men should be doing, according to Jesus Himself.

1) Love God

Jesus loved His Father so much that He lived His earthly life for the Father's glory. Everything that He did was in obedience to the Father's will. He made His Father's will His own, and was thus able to do what the Father wanted Him to do. He said in John 6:38,

"For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

2) Love neighbors

While the world teaches men to race against others to the top, Jesus teaches us to race to the bottom – to desire to be the servant of all. He did that by giving up His own life for our sake, that we may be saved.

"But Jesus called them to Him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you, let him serve you, and whoever would be first among you, let him be your slave, even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)

3) Respect and honor for women

Lastly, I really want to mention this because it is specific to all men. Brothers, we must all learn to see women the way Jesus did. Think about it:

• He took care of His mother (see John 19:26);
• He was able to have Godly relationships with women (see Luke 8:1-3, 10:38-42);
• He was able to treat women with honor and dignity no matter who they were (see Luke 7:36-50; John 8:1-11) ;
• He did not consider them lower than, inferior to, or second-class compared to men (see John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9); and
• He loved them all with the love of God (John 3:16-17; Romans5:8).

Dear brothers, if Christ can do all that, we can do it too (see John 14:12). If He was able to look at a woman with a pure heart, we can do that by the strength He supplies. If He was able to enjoy their company without lusting after them, we can do that too.