10 Qualities of Jesus Men Should Strive to Have

When I was a kid, I loved playing basketball in my driveway. I would pretend to be Isaiah Thomas, David Robinson, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. I would even lower the hoop so I could dunk. When it came to basketball, I was a long way from being like any of those guys. But, it sure was fun.

In our careers—and in life—we all have role models. There are those people who have had success that we want to duplicate, or people who have lived with qualities we want to emulate. Both my father and my father-in-law are two such people – men who have had successful careers, yes, but more importantly have been great husbands, fathers and leaders. Both of these men, and countless others I think of as I am writing this, have followed one example in their lives … and it’s the example we all should follow: the example of Jesus.

My daughter recently asked me how Jesus could be fully God AND fully man. Admittedly, I don’t understand a theologically complex question like that, at least not to my own satisfaction. But, I trust God's word, and I know that while Jesus was here in the flesh, He walked the same proverbial roads I as a man walk today. He experienced emotion. He got tired, hungry, sad and angry. And, all the while, He lived a perfect life and showed me the kind of man I should strive to be.

As you look at the life of Jesus, here are 10 character traits He exemplified that are important for us as men today.

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1. Loving.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4: 7-8). God loves us … He is love. And, Jesus is the ultimate example of love, as He died for us. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The Bible is pretty clear when it comes to the command to love.

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2. Forgiving.

We all know we are supposed to forgive others when they wrong us. But, we still have problems doing it. It’s hard enough to forgive those we love, let alone those who we might consider to be our enemies. Yet, Jesus managed to extend forgiveness to the guards who were crucifying them … in the middle of the act! “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Luke 23:34). What a powerful lesson that is for us!

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3. Humility.

It seems that many of the religious leaders at the time of Jesus were looking for something else. They expected the Messiah to come in to hold political power and right every wrong. But, Jesus himself said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus is the ultimate example of a humble, servant leader. Consider the time he washed his disciples’ dirty feet: “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:5). There’s no room for arrogance in a heart committed to Christ. We need to pray for humility and be prepared for God to shape us into the image of Christ – an image of servitude toward others.

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4. Compassion.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). I’m so thankful that Jesus is full of compassion towards us, when we’ve done nothing to warrant it. We are helpless; we are sheep without a shepherd. Observing this quality of Jesus reminds us of the importance of having compassion for other people. Unlike Jesus, we don’t know what they are going through, which gives us even more reason to give them the benefit of the doubt.

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5. Gentleness.

A perfect picture of the gentleness of Jesus is when He encourages the children to come to Him. I can just picture Him kneeling down on the ground and talking to the kids on their level. Jesus was direct when He had to be, but He had a knack for communicating with gentleness. Today, our culture seems to celebrate men who speak their mind and pull no punches, as if being a bully is an admirable trait. On the contrary, Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

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6. Self-Control.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Jesus lived a sinless life, despite being tempted by Satan himself. Satan presented Jesus with everything this world has to offer to no avail. Exhibiting self-control is not easy. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus showed self-control to give us an example of how we can. Men, we can have self-control. The Bible promises that if you “Resist the devil, he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

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7. Patience.

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Jesus had perfect patience. He waited 30 years to begin His public ministry. The time had to be right. And, He shows perfect patience with us, using the right time and circumstances in our lives to mold us and shape us. Often, we need to show more patience in our lives and with the people around us.

8. Obedience.

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phillipians 2:8). I can’t imagine the agony Jesus felt, knowing the ultimate path He was on. He even asked the Father for a different way. But, in the end, He was obedient to the Father’s will. Many of us tend to have a hard time with obedience. We question our leaders; we usually think our way is better. God has placed people in authority over us, and we should take a lesson from Christ in demonstrating obedience when called upon.

9. Honesty.

Jesus didn't just tell the truth, He is the Truth. “Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6). In the age of fake news, “alternative facts,” and relative truth, honesty seems to be fading in value. No one seems to care about honesty and integrity anymore. I’m here to say that there’s hardly a more important trait for a Godly man than to be honest.

10. Prayerful.

One of my favorite traits of Jesus is his commitment to prayer. Before anything major was about to take place, Jesus spent time alone in prayerful conversation with the Father. “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:16). Men, prayer needs to be a priority for us if we want to lead our families well.

Brent Rinehart is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer. He blogs about the amazing things parenting teaches us about life, work, faith and more at www.apparentstuff.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.