Fight the Good Fight: A Call to Biblical Manhood

Thankfully, God has not left us on our own to fulfill this calling.

1. Persevere and Stay the Course 

   Foremost among the biblical lessons for us as fathers is to never, ever quit. 
   
   Galatians 6:9 tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good.” 2 Corinthians 4 also talks about how we may feel pressured, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, but we do not quit.  Paul goes on to say in verse 16, “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” 
   
   Being the leader of our homes is not for the faint of heart. We stay the course because godly fathers finish the race.
   

2. Surrender to Refinement in Humility

   Secondly, the Bible informs us that God disciplines those he loves in order to sanctify them (Hebrews 12:5-11). So dads, surrender in humility to God’s refining process and allow him to mold you into the man he’s called you to be.
   
   As we accompany our football players on their journey to becoming godly men (and Lord willing godly fathers one day), we’ve made it our mission to instill these call to actions:
   
   1) Reject Passivity
   2) Accept Responsibility
   3) Lead Courageously
   4) Wait on Greater Reward
   
   The process is not always pretty, but we know the final product will be. It has been true for our student-athletes, and it will be true for you as well. 
   
   Proverbs 27:17 gives us a glimpse into what this refining process looks, feels, sounds, and smells like. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Envision a metal file removing the rough edges and imperfections from another piece of metal. 
   
   Can you hear the metal grinding and grating against one other? Can you see the sparks and feel the heat? Can you smell the odor as the abrasive particles and flaws are slowly removed? It’s not an attractive picture, is it? And yet, it is forming something glorious!  
   

3. Fight for Your Family

   You may not see it in the day-to-day as you fight for your marriage, but it’s in those difficult places that God shows us how humbling ourselves, listening, loving our bride unconditionally, and not quitting will bring us through to the other side.
   
   The fruit is visible and beautiful when our children pass the tests life throws at them, making our chests swell with a humble pride as the tests get harder and they continue to pass them: when they make it to the graduation stage, when they land their first job, when they find their forever spouse and boldly proclaim before God and witnesses, “Till death do us part.”
   
   Even when they fail, we will still see fruit, because we know that those failures are opportunities for our children to grow.