Give all for them

The glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility. That is, in my estimation, the most accurate and succinct definition of manhood I have ever heard. At its core is the idea of taking responsibility for the things going on in your world but attached to that is the reality of sacrifice. Authority flows to those who take responsibility, and at the core of taking responsibility is sacrifice.

When we look at Jesus, the pinnacle of masculinity, we see someone who lived for others in every conceivable way. From the way he spoke to the things he did, every day was lived in a sacrificial manner on behalf of his people. If we are going to attempt to model this way of living, we must understand both the difficulty of it, as well as the blessedness of it.

The difficult thing about living a sacrificial life is the sheer opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2). Jesus experienced this in his wilderness temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). When presented three times with the opportunity to quit sacrificing and start indulging in the faux promises of Satan, our Lord stood strong in dependence upon his heavenly Father and the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:1-2). None of this is to say that it wasn’t an actual choice for him, an actual decision that he had to make. This was in a moment of fatigue and weakness, yet he still sacrificed for the sake of his Bride, the church. For us, every day will be a conscious decision to put our wives and children before us, something we must admit is difficult and unnatural. Over time, however, it will become easier through the remodeling work of the Holy Spirit.

I do need to speak on the blessedness of sacrifice, though. It was for “the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2) that Jesus laid down his life daily for the Bride. We get to live secure and Spirit-led lives because he “loved us and gave himself for us” (Galatians 2:20). The best verse to sum this up is found in the greatest chapter in the bible, Romans 8. Paul, after stating that all things work together for the good of those who love God, rests it all upon the incredible foundation of verse 32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Because of the Father’s sacrifice of his Son and the Son’s sacrifice of his own life, we literally receive “all things.” By all things, Paul means life, and life to the full in Christ. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we now have all things, and through having all things, are free to sacrifice daily anything that is needed for the sake of others.

At the heart of Christ-like sacrificial manhood is faith the believes that we are loved perfectly by our Father in heaven, have all things in Christ, are never alone and are powered by the Holy Spirit, and can therefore give of ourselves daily for the sake of the world around us. A sacrificial man is a dangerous man, for he will live in such a way that the things of this life, creature comforts, and material things hold no sway over his actions, for he is willing to give up anything and everything to have Christ, and in turn, have all things.