Stories and Testimonies
Created in God's Image - Living as Godly Men
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the
ground." Genesis 1:28-29 (NIV)
What is manhood? Mass confusion, fostered by sin, has resulted in countless generations of men who don't understand their role, much less live up to it. In the midst of this confusion, however, the Bible clearly articulates God's call for men.
Recently, 78 men from DiscipleMakers fellowships gathered to explore God's calling for men to be “Lords of the Earth.” For three days these men studied how they are made to image God by ruling over their domains for His glory. They also studied how sin leads them to either abuse or abandon this role.
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled His call as Lord of the earth. In His devotion to the Father, He neither abandoned His mission nor sought His own personal comfort, pleasure, or glory. As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same. And while the vision may be glorious, the mission is anything but. Accordingly, Bill Dripps, President of DiscipleMakers, challenged the men at the conference: “I would like to call on you men to join this holy mission. It's not going to be easy; I will not mince words with you – Jesus came on a suicide mission. He knew He would die. He is calling you to follow Him.” Godly manhood necessitates exchanging small and pitiful (but nevertheless attractive) dreams for Christ's greater mission; it means dying to pride, conquering fears and facing rejection.
Commitment to this call to follow Christ results in men who rule and subdue their academics, work, time, thoughts, desires, and future for God's glory. Praise God for transforming boys into godly men, equipping them to lead the next generation of churches, families and workforces.
