What does a good man look like? This is something men at my church discussed this past weekend.

I do my best to be a good husband. It is a struggle sometimes because my wife has been unable to find a job… which means we live on the meager graduate student salary I receive from the university. We do not have children yet but we hope to have them someday, even if it means adoption. If we adopt that is something we are open to and have discussed on more than one occasion.

Below is the list that men at my church came up with about how to be a man. Although some men worried that their wives may use this list as a weapon against them all of us agreed this was a good list.

I do know I want to do all these things for my family. Seeing them written down was strange. I am not sure why but seeing them written was just different. The list was inspired by a 2011 movie called Courageous. This list contains all the promises that I made when I married my wife 11 months ago.

HOW TO BE A FAITHFUL MAN

• HE WILL sincerely resolve before God to take full responsibility for himself and those God has placed in his immediate care.
• HE WILL love, protect, serve, and teach the Word of God as the spiritual leader of his home.
• HE WILL be a faithful man, love and honor others, and be willing to lay down his life as Jesus Christ did for him.
• HE WILL bless his children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.
• HE WILL train his children to honor authority and live responsibly.
• HE WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.
• HE WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
• HE WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of his family and be an example of a giving and faithful steward of his finances.
• HE WILL forgive those who have wronged him and reconcile with those he has wronged.
• HE WILL learn from my mistakes, repents of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
• HE WILL seek to honor God, be a faithful supporter to His church, obey His Word, and do His Will.
• “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

Notice there was nothing about who can drink the most beers, who has the best guns, who is the strongest, who drives the best car, or who has the most money. If you are not a Christian and reading this list, are there things you can still take away from it to be a better father/husband? If you are a Christian is there anything that was left off this list?

Comment below and also share this with others. Thanks for reading!