Many men today feel the tension between who they are and who they’re called to become. Caught between comfort and calling, compromise and conviction, we are reminded in 2 Timothy 2:11–13, 15 that real strength is forged in faithfulness.
“Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with Him,
we will also live with Him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with Him.
If we disown Him,
He will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
He remains faithful,
for He cannot disown Himself…
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed
and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
— 2 Timothy 2:11–13, 15 NIV
God’s purpose for every man is to be reconciled to Himself through Jesus Christ—and then to reflect His character through a life of obedience. This means dying to our selfish ambitions and sinful desires. It means choosing God’s glory over our comfort. Just as Jesus humbled Himself and took on flesh to fulfill His Father’s will, we too must surrender our desires and live for God’s eternal mission.
Endurance isn’t optional. It’s proof. It’s the evidence of real faith. If we want to reign with Christ, we must refuse to disown Him when pressure comes. We must pursue holiness in a world that rewards compromise. We must trade passive belief for active obedience.
And how do we do this? We anchor ourselves in the Word of God. We become men who know it, live it, and share it—handling it with care, applying it with courage. We pursue God not just with our minds but with our time, our choices, and our relationships. We live the truth before we preach it.
God isn’t calling you to be perfect, but He is calling you to be faithful.
Application for Christian Men:
Start here:
- Examine what areas of your life you’re still holding back from God’s control.
- Endure by showing up daily in prayer and the Word, even when you don’t feel like it.
- Engage your brothers in Christ—encourage each other to stay the course.
- Equip yourself by studying Scripture to rightly handle truth, not just talk about it.
- Elevate Christ’s mission above your own success.
You were made to endure. You were made to reign. But first, you must die to live.
