Equipping Bold and Courageous Men

Scripture is replete with the stories of brave men. Flawed and imperfect men made righteous by God and worthy of our admiration, not because of their own cunning or strength but because of their faith in and surrender to God. I have a few favorites.

I marvel at Caleb’s faith, his belief in the power of God, and his trust that God would keep His promises even as those around him were doubtful and fearful of their environment and Israel’s enemies (Numbers 13:30-33). Who can forget Daniel’s conviction to remain true to the God of Israel and God’s law, even as an exile in a foreign land who lived in the good graces of Babylonian leadership (Daniel 1:8-16). Joseph modeled supreme faith and trust in God as he took Mary, pregnant with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be his wife (Matthew 1:24-25). Each of these men inspires me, but as a young man, it is King David who may have been the most influential Biblical figure in my spiritual development. While David is often heralded for his bravery and courage, it was his flaws and brokenness that spoke to me as a young man. David’s failures and redemption showed me that God in fact uses deeply flawed and broken people, which gave me hope that God could use me.

In addition to these biblical examples, I have personally been fortunate to have many influential Christian men to help form me as a Christian man; particularly my father, grandfathers, uncles, and cousins. In addition to family members, I have had teachers and professional mentors who have guided, encouraged, and corrected me. Even today, as a husband, father, and leader, I enjoy sacred relationship with Christian men who support and encourage me, and when needed, question and challenge me.

While I have been blessed with an abundance of faithful Christian men in my life, I grew up in a community plagued by the absence of men. Having married parents was atypical. Having an absent or incarcerated father was not uncommon. The absence of men was felt acutely in homes, church, and community structures. Single mothers did all they could to provide for their children, financially, spiritually, and emotionally, but the result of male absence was often poverty and many of its accompanying hardships. The plain truth is that families need fathers and husbands. And Houghton has a clear and important role to play in the preparation of God-honoring, faithful Christian men. I treasure Houghton’s opportunity to play a role in their Christian formation.

God created people, male and female, in His image (Genesis 1:27). Men and women bear the image of God our creator, equally valuable and loved by God. But men and women are not interchangeable. We are created with distinctions. As such, Houghton endeavors to provide a nurturing Christian community that equips, strengthens, and encourages young men as they prepare to become husbands, fathers, and servant leaders in their homes, families, churches, and communities. I  want Houghton men to understand that they will serve in churches and communities marred by the absence and failures of men, and that their presence, service, strength, and compassion can play a healing and restorative role in the lives of young people who desperately need the influence of Christian men in their lives. It is a responsibility to be taken seriously.

The lives of Biblical men like Daniel, Caleb, David, and Joseph the stepfather of Jesus, continue to encourage and challenge me. But then, so do the lives and service of the courageous Christian men who serve at Houghton today. As Houghton’s president, my prayer and my aim is that the faith, obedience, failures, and triumphs of Biblical men and contemporary Houghton men, inspire the young men studying at Houghton to act justly, the love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). By God’s grace, may it be so.