“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’” – Deuteronomy 4:7-10
The obedience and guarding of the hearts of older generations of God’s people is essential to the healthy instruction and raising of those that follow. As Moses declared, older saints and parents of the younger generations must possess, and grow in gaining and applying wisdom in their own lives in order to better “take heed” and “diligently keep” themselves, lest they forget the commands and truths God has revealed to them. This is as true for you today as it was for the saints of old. If you think about it, failure to take heed to the Word and keep yourself, leads to poor memory of God’s law and works, which also leads to teaching that is lacking and even possibly misleading.
Therefore, may diligence be an ongoing priority for you. May you follow Solomon’s pattern in teaching wisdom to his son, as he pressed to him in Proverbs 1, “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion— A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.” (Proverbs 1:2-9)
Parents, older saints, what truth and wisdom will you teach young men and women? Young men and women, are you prepared to listen and grow in learning?
Young men, consider these words of wisdom to you today:
- Commit to Discipline Development- A healthy start to your growth in being a godly man is a commitment to developing disciplines that are essential for godly men, coupled with being intentional in putting one foot in front of the other to make progress in that development. In addition, along with becoming disciplined comes the need to maintain those disciplines. (Hebrews 12)
- Seek after and Listen to Wise Counsel- A common temptation and sin young men fall into is to be headstrong and full of youthful pride. A way that often shows itself is in waning willingness to both seek after and listen to godly counsel from your parents, your pastor, your elders, and elder saints. The opinions of your peers, regardless of any wisdom in them, tend to take priority, even to the rejection of that which is good and godly. Reality is that you don’t know everything. You may be blind, naive, or otherwise ignorant to important truth for your walk in life. You may think you possess wisdom on your own, but when viewed through the lens of Scripture, you find you would have been on the path of the fool if you pressed forward with your plan. Solomon’s son needed to seek after and hear the instruction of his father and not forsake the law of his mother. Do the same!
- Faithful Student of the Bible- One of the big challenges in your walk as a man of God is and will continue to be to fight the temptation to neglect reading and feeding upon God’s Word. The world often claims it isn’t manly. When you think about your discipline priorities in thought and life, working out your body, and many other things, may be put far ahead of feeding your soul. Satan wants you to stay far away from it. His desire is that you’re spiritually starving when you encounter his lures and snares. You’re weaker and more easily take the bait. Thus, all the more reason for being disciplined in feasting on the Scriptures. When you set it aside, for whatever reason, you neglect the nourishment you need to be further grounded in your faith, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, to grow in relationship with Him, to grow in hope and courage and faithfully walk with and before Him. Importantly, as you impoverish yourself, you then weaken your witness, teaching, and leading of your future wife and children. The consequences trickle down. Faithful reading and worship in your home won’t be modeled and practiced. Though it isn’t easy and you can come up with many excuses, be faithful in study and application, men of God. Don’t give in and give up! (Psalm 119:67, Galatians 6:9)
- A Right View of God- As you study the Scriptures, by His grace, you will see and know the God of creation and your salvation more and more clearly and deeply. Grow in your awe of Him. Fear Him more every day. Worship Him with your whole heart. Study and be mindful of His full-orbed, glorious attributes. Learn more about His holiness. Learn more about His justice, love, grace, and mercy. He is the Lord your God. There is no other! Discipline yourself to hold to sound doctrine regarding who He is, and reject the narratives and truth claims of the world. For their definitions, constructs, and traditions are merely gods of their own design. They are idols that need to be smashed. You need to know who the living, triune God is and who you are as a beloved son. You need to know your identity in Christ. These are important, foundational pieces of your growth as a young man. I commend Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 2, including the Scripture proofs, to your study.
- A Right View of Sin- This is another must see and must know! For sin is often tolerated or excused in young men, as it can be in older men. “Eh, he’s young. He’ll grow out of it.” may be commonly heard words. They may be some that you’ve said to yourself. Yet, does God excuse sin in your life because you’re young? No. He calls you to walk in obedience to Him in thought, word, and deed, in accordance to His law at every age and stage of your life. Therefore, as you know that sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God (Westminster Shorter Catechism 14), be and good student of the Word. Repent of what His law shows you is in your own life and walk rightly with Christ. Seek to be a godly young man now!
- Integrity and Purity- 1) Right walking includes being a man with integrity. Do you lie and manipulate to get your way? You need to grow in being an honest man in your words, relationships (of all kinds), and dealings. Can others attest that you are a man of integrity? How do you need to grow in this? 2) You also need to be a young man you is focused on purity- again, in thought, word, and deed. Daily seek the Lord’s grace in your heart, mind, and eyes to constrain your thoughts and deal with your lusts. Guard your heart and mind from temptations within and pressures without. Guard your heart from envy and covetousness. Seek His help to bridle your tongue, and manifest self-control in your actions. (1 Corinthians 6:18, James 3)
- Courage and Humility- 1) Be a young man who is growing in being brave, strong, and courageous in good and godly ways. (Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14) Let everything be done in love. Foster godly strength in your character and life. Promote and support what God says is good. Stand against what God declares is evil. Seek the help of your father and other men to learn how to protect and defend others. Listen to and observe your father and other godly men, seeking to imitate them as they imitate Christ. In order to discern and imitate well, you need to know Christ, His character, His commands, and His walk. Thus, you return again to being a good student of the Word and faithful in prayer. 2) May humility be evident in your youth as well. Have a humble confidence in the Lord your God like Joshua and Caleb. (Numbers 13-14) Maintain humble dependence on God, knowing He is the source of all that you have and need. (1 Corinthians 4:7) Humbly submit to God and He will exalt you in due time. (1 Peter 5:6) Be humble in your relationships as you love your neighbor and sharpen your brethren.
Men, this is far from an exhaustive list, but these are good and wise to have in your core for growth. I encourage you to not just read this once and move on. Write these down, revisit this devotion, meditate on the Scriptures, expand your study and application. Prayerfully do what is needed in your life to start and maintain godly disciplines that will be a great blessing in you, to your family, to your church, your future family, Lord willing, as well as your witness and testimony of Christ to the world. If you have questions about how to practically implement these in your life, let me, or one of the elders know. We’re happy to help you!
A good resource for you: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson. https://www.monergism.com/godly-mans-picture-ebook