Quit you like men!
One of the greatest
needs of our day is men of weight and substance: men of moral courage and
fortitude, who will stand on God's Word against a contrary culture. We need men
to act like men, not women. Let both sexes be who God gloriously made them to
be in his image, male and female. Women and children will flourish in the home
and church to the extent that godly men take the lead in creating the culture
in which they can grow.
Men must know what
biblical manhood looks like and men must step out of the comfort zone and into
the risk zone for Christ and for the good of others. We need men who are not
macho but mature; not sombre minded but sober minded; not driven by comfort but
by conviction; not lovers of self but lovers of Christ. We need divines not
dudes; who like the men of old feel the weight of God's glory upon them and carry the responsibility for leadership despite what it may personally cost. We need
holy men. Hear the words of, Horatius Bonar, who lived in the way of a divine
and hear the call, "Quit you like men"! (The word "quit"
here bears the idea of "conduct" or "acquit").
Quit you like men.—Be men!
In courage; not cowards, turning our back on the foe, or
giving way in danger, or reproach, or evil days.
In solidity; not shifting or shadowy, but immoveable as
the rock.
In strength. As the man is, so is his strength. Be
strong!
In wisdom. Foolishness is with childhood, wisdom with
manhood. Speak and act with wisdom, as men.
In ripeness. The faculties of men are ripe, both for
thinking and working. They speak ripe words, think ripe thoughts, plan and
execute ripe things. In understanding be men!
In all things;—what you do, and what you refrain from
doing, be men. Act the manly part;—let nothing effeminate, luxurious, sickly,
childish, puny, little, narrow, be seen about you. Christianity makes men, not
babes. Adorn the doctrine of Christ by your manliness.
In the Church, in the world, in business, in
conversation,—in prosperity and adversity,—quit you like men! Let no man
despise thee; and let no man despise the Gospel because of thee.
- Christ is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar, Eds.
M. Haykin, D. Brooker, p. 105-6, Taken from The Christian Treasury, Bible
Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 1864.