Amid the onslaughts that the enemy wields against the marital institution, many are quick to point fingers at the church. The church and church leaders are disparaged by many for abusive and broken marriages. This is simply a satanic attempt to use his enterprise in the marriages of some brethren to afflict the fold. The debate is always out there – “who is responsible for school children turning out badly, the parents or the teachers?” Without intending to trivialise the moulding roles of teachers, parents have the primary duty of raising their children. The same principle indemnifies the church, and that is not to trivialise the consequential redemptive, restorative and supportive roles of the church.

The juvenile church is the best place to start raising good men. The toddler and preschool years are fundamental to the personality formation of children and it is easier to embed some basics as early as possible. We live in dangerous times with unbelievable curricula. We have to be proactive in teaching “male and female created He them” from as young as the child can hear it. Father’s day may be a good opportunity for a man with a good report to share 5 – 10 minutes of simple and adapted teaching with the children on the sacrificial roles of good men, citing God and Jesus Christ as first-line examples. Also, to teach boys how to be gentlemen.

Before some girls are old enough to spell their first names, they get teddy bears and nurse “babies”. Do you know what boys get? They get toy guns and balls. Imagine! Girls are embedded in domestic chores and taught chastity countless times. They are taught about the woman in Proverb 31 from as early as their teenage days. Society, schools, church, sisters’ fellowships, and women groups invest so much time and teachings on raising virtuous wives.

Today, unfortunately, some of those carefully prepared wives are married to men with gunpowder temperament, who only know Eph 5 vs. 22-23, but cannot do dishes, cook a simple meal or take care of their children for a few hours.

While not slowing down in brewing good wives, the time is here for us to commit much more to the raising of excellent men. It is time to erupt from among us men who will be Christ’s ambassadors over their homes, and societies and bring glory to God. Our youth and campus fellowships should have brothers’ groups and have life-shaping encounters with our fathers in the faith, our uncles, mentors, and senior friends. God’s evolving testimonies upon my life today are traceable to the exemplary men and women along my path, mostly from the church folds. God’s church is there to guide more.

There are many men in my head with whom I have never had private interactions, but whom I continue to observe and learn from. If a young man wants to be a noble man, he must deliberately seek to learn from and be accountable to a few noble men and women around him. It works. As a bachelor, I delved into errors on some occasions but having Christian friends and leaders unto whom I reported myself each time helped a lot. If you turn out bad, it may hurt the church in some ways, but ultimately it is your destiny that is at stake. Safeguard yourself!

Yes, 21st century is so overwhelmingly busy. But I urge our fathers, pastors, uncles, and brothers to make time for raising noble men “after themselves”. Sit upon them like the potter upon clay, like the refiner upon gold. Share your failures with them, befriend them, hear them and “come down” to their levels. They are your future sons and nephews-in-law; your heirs and coheirs of God through Christ. Proactively go after them, be gentle with them, encourage, correct & guide, raise & appraise them. The church is vital to raising noble men.

Selah!

© SELAH SERIES 2022