A Better Man

Knowing the Difference / Living the Difference
Becoming “A Better Man”
In the movie As Good As It Gets, Jack Nicholson’s character is asked by his soon to be girl friend to say what he saw in her that was valuable. His response “You make me a better man”. She “melted” at that point. I heard what he said and thought, “Ok, but what’s the big deal”. But to Helen Hunt’s character, these were precious words; words that penetrated to meaning far beyond the words themselves.

Last weekend several men were together for some early morning fellowship. As we discussed the things of scripture and how our present reading was impacting us, one man commented that being in fellowship with the other men there made him a better man – he lived differently when he stayed immersed in fellowship with other men who shared his values of scripture and challenged him to live a life different that the life he was challenged to live by his job, his neighbors, his friends in civic work, and so forth.

It seems to me that God is at work in our lives challenging us to be better men. The indwelling of His Holy Spirit, fertilized by regular reading of the scriptures and a life of prayerful conversation with God all build together to create a “better man”. In Exodus 33, God has indicated to Moses that he (Moses) has found favor in His sight. Moses’ seemingly immediate response is recorded in verse 13, . . . if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. I find it very interesting that Moses, upon understanding that He was in God’s favor, nevertheless, wanted more of God – He wanted God to reveal more of Himself to him because he knew that in knowing more of God, he would have more of God’s favor.

Wise men do still seek Him. In seeking Him, our goal is to know more of Him that we may glorify Him and be men who, in knowing Him and the difference he makes (the better men He makes of us) can then live lives that are truly different. As I look at Moses life, He was looking for an upward spiral – a knowing that led to different living that led to more knowing that led to different living and on and on.

I want to be a better man. My strong belief is that all Christian men want to be better. Like Jack Nicholson, we need someone to make us better men. God’s word, prayer and the fellowship of other believers are the resources we have. Are you using these fully to know the difference so you can live the difference? Become a “better man”.