Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

I know there are women out there who have hang-ups with men. But I’m not one of them because the two most-loving and influential men in my life were my dad and my husband. On April 18, 1980, my hero dad escorted me down the church aisle and gave me away to my soon-to-be husband. In a lot of aspects, Dad and Jimmy were nothing alike. However, both had built their lives on Jesus and neither ever failed to love, provide, and protect me.

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God…“ (Psalm 68:5 ESV). When I recently read this scripture, it struck home with me and I said aloud: “Wow, a double whammy.” Then I thought, “That’s me. I don’t have a father or a husband.” Men have a very important role in the family and in society. God needs a few good men to profoundly influence their families and communities.

The importance of men began with God in the Garden of Eden when He created a perfect man. The man (Adam) became a loving husband and, later, a caring father. Strong and faithful husbands and fathers are desperately needed to step over the line of slackness   and fulfill their God-given role. The overly-simplistic definition of a man is “an adult male person.” But a real flesh-and-blood man is more awesome and intricate than that measly definition. So let’s strip him down to the chassis and see what we’ve got.

The following describes an exemplary man: “Since God chose you to be the holy people [men] He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT).

A real man enjoys his responsibility to nurture, love, and cherish his wife and children. He is compassionate and stalwart. He loves, laughs, and cries. His love is tough and gentle; he is faithful to God, family, and Country. He knows how to balance work and play, and spends time with his wife and children. He has integrity and holds God and His Word in utmost reverence. He humbly knows where his abilities come from: “Awesome is God…He is the one who gives power and strength to His people” (Psalm 68:35 ESV).

A godly man will bear good fruit in his everyday life. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22,23 NLT). And there’s no law against a little dirt under your fingernails or mud on your truck tires. There’s also no law against arching your eyebrows, but please don‘t. It disturbs me to see a man’s eyebrows look better than mine!

In a world of worrisome role confusion, God needs men to stand up and be real men. A nanoscopic number of women might think men are a dime a dozen, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. Real men are absolutely priceless. Hats off to all the bona fide men who serve as awesome role models. You are important, valued, loved, admired, and appreciated!

The Key: Real men never go out of style. Happy Father’s Day!