Husbands and fathers are in uncharted territory, with children home from school, possibly anxious or worried wives and perhaps the challenges of working remotely and even “attending” church online.
Their families need them to lead during this difficult time, so how can men do so from a biblical center?
Dr. Tim Clinton, author of the forthcoming book, Take It Back: Reclaiming Biblical Manhood for the Sake of Marriage, Family and Culture, says authentic manhood begins with serving God, and he uses the Bible’s King David as an example.
“David understood that as Israel’s new leader, his son, Solomon, would need to take a stand, leading the people in keeping God’s ways,” Clinton says. “His leadership of Israel, however, had to begin with his own personal integrity before God. David related authentic manhood to serving God. That’s big. The same is true today.
“For men to impact the culture around them and their circles of influence, starting with their families, they must embrace God’s true definition of manhood and masculinity,” he adds. “You don’t have to accept mainstream media’s or some liberal organization’s label of who you are, and you certainly don’t have to accept the mischaracterized version of traditional masculinity—but instead, you must accept the absolute truth of what God’s Word says about you.”
In Take It Back, Clinton notes that J. Oswald Sanders wrote, “When God does discover a man who conforms to His spiritual requirement, who is willing to pay the full price of discipleship, He uses him to the limit, despite his patent shortcomings.”
“The great need of our culture today is not for more men of talent or more men of success but for more men of character with hearts that follow hard after God,” Clinton says. “Our culture needs men who have taken up David’s challenge to Solomon to ‘be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man’ and who understand what that means. Yes, God is looking for a man. Will He find you?”
In Take It Back, Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), challenges readers to reject culture’s redefinition and seek biblical examples of true manhood. Fast-paced, filled with relevant biblical and contemporary stories of godly men like David, Nehemiah, George Foreman and Tim Tebow, Take It Back, co-authored with Max Davis, empowers men to be who God created them to be and to impact the culture that is in desperate need of their influence. Study and discussion questions at the end of each chapter make Take It Back a perfect resource for men’s Bible studies and small groups.
Dr. Tim Clinton also serves as the executive director of the James Dobson Family Institute and recurring co-host of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, heard on nearly 1,300 radio outlets daily. Licensed as a professional counselor and as a marriage and family therapist, Clinton is recognized as a world leader in mental health and relationship issues and has authored or edited nearly 30 books. Clinton and his wife, Julie, have two children.
Max Davis is the author of over 30 books that have been featured in USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, Bible Gateway and on the Today show and The 700 Club. He holds degrees in journalism and biblical studies. In addition to his own works, he’s done a variety of collaboration projects with notable leaders.
Take It Back will be released on May 5 by Charisma House, which publishes books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians.
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