The man after God’s own heart was getting ready to die and he had one last message for his son, Solomon (who was maybe in his early 20s). It is the message that every man of every age needs to hear. It is the message that every son needs to hear. Listen to it carefully, “Be strong, and prove yourself a man” (1 Kgs. 2:2). Not “choose who you want to be” or even “be a good person.” You’re a man, so “prove yourself a man.”
But…how? How does a man prove himself a man? Keep reading. “And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written…” (2:3). What is a true man? How do we train our sons to be men? What kind of man should we want our daughters to marry? The man who does what the Lord says and walks faithfully in His ways.
What advice are you giving to young men? What are we raising them to be? Are we urging them to be man…as defined by God?