Are You Fulfilling Your God-Given Roles?

How Men Are To Be Workers, Husbands, and Fathers

In the life of a Christian man, embracing our God-given roles is crucial to living a life that honors God and supports those He has placed in our care. As we delve into the roles of worker, husband, and father, we’ll explore biblical principles that guide us in fulfilling these responsibilities. These roles are not just duties but callings that shape our identity and purpose as men of God.

Be a Worker

A man’s work is fundamental to his identity and purpose. It provides for those who depend on him and contributes significantly to his sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

• Psalm 104:23 (KJV): "Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening."

• Ephesians 5:28-29 (KJV): "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church."

• 1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV): "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

Work is not merely a means to an end; it is a divine calling. Through work, we exercise stewardship over God’s creation, provide for our families, and contribute to the welfare of society. This biblical understanding of work elevates it beyond mere occupation to a significant aspect of our worship and service to God.

Be a Husband

The role of a husband involves leadership and love. As husbands, we are called to lead our wives with wisdom and love them sacrificially.

• Ephesians 5:23-24 (KJV): "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

• 1 Corinthians 7:3 (KJV): "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband."

• Exodus 21:10-11 (KJV): "If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money."

Leadership in marriage does not imply dominance but a servant-hearted guidance that mirrors Christ’s relationship with the church. Loving our wives means putting their needs above our own, ensuring their well-being, and cherishing them as God’s precious gifts to us.

Be a Father

As fathers, we are entrusted with the significant responsibilities of teaching and protecting our children. This role involves nurturing their spiritual growth and safeguarding their physical and emotional well-being.

• 1 Corinthians 14:35 (KJV): "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."

• Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (KJV): "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

• Ephesians 6:4 (KJV): "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

• Ephesians 5:28-29 (KJV): "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church."

Teaching our children involves imparting God’s Word and guiding them in righteous living. Protection extends beyond the physical to include shielding them from harmful influences and equipping them to face the challenges of life with faith and courage.

Cultivating These Roles

All three roles—worker, husband, and father—are integral to the Christian man’s life. To cultivate these roles effectively, we must embrace our calling to rule over those God has placed in our care with wisdom and compassion.

• Genesis 3:16 (KJV): "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

• 1 Timothy 3:4 (KJV): "One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;"

• 1 Peter 3:5-7 (KJV): "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

• Revelation 3:19 (KJV): "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

• Hebrews 12:9 (KJV): "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

To rule well means to lead with a servant’s heart, reflecting Christ’s love and discipline. It involves making wise decisions that benefit our families and honoring the trust God has placed in us.

As Christian men, embracing our roles as workers, husbands, and fathers is not just about fulfilling duties but about living out our faith in every aspect of our lives. These roles are interwoven with our spiritual growth and our testimony to the world.