I am a man. I have a wife who needs/wants a strong, godly man. I have six daughters for whom I want strong, godly men. You can see then why I am interested in what God has to say about being a man.

So I was reading my Bible this morning and came across a conversation between St. Paul and a young leader he was mentoring, Titus. Paul had sent Titus to the island of Crete (the largest and most populated of the Greek islands) to appoint leaders to the churches that had been started there.

Paul wrote to Titus:

As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

I love the profile that Paul gives here… the expectations of older men! This is the model that young men are to be working to create in our lives!

• Self-control
• Worthy of respect
• Wise
• Sturdy faith
• Loving
• Patient

Do you know a man who has these characteristics? I know a few… and I’ve gotten close enough to a couple of them to call them “mentors.” Men like Virgil, Dick, and a few others. I love these men and hope to be like them someday.

I love reading the Bible because it gives me a sense of what can be in my life!