The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

Reaching the Heights of Who You Should Be

In our challenging world, it’s normal to have a heart full of dreams and a mind full of thoughts and still, feel uncertain about what it means to be a true man from a Christian perspective. Men remark of a path to manhood that is like scaling a mountain—one step at a time, facing challenges, and relying on God’s guidance. That’s a noteworthy metaphor, but where does a man begin? Prayer is a good lifeline to maneuver the crags and rockfalls of our fallen and fractured world.

Prayer is not a passive way to delay courage but an active way to pursue courage.

As a man sojourns, I offer a key principle to climbing the mountain of manhood: Courage. We need courage to face the ascent, and we may need to borrow courage from a mentor.

John Wayne, the iconic American actor known for his roles in Western films, had many memorable quotes about courage. One of his famous quotes is: “Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.”

• This quote captures the essence of courage in a modern, no-nonsense manner. It emphasizes that real courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s about acknowledging your fears, feeling the adrenaline, and summoning the grit to face the challenge head-on.

Becoming a Christian man means having the courage to face life’s challenges head-on. Remembering and recalling the story of David and Goliath, where young David confronted the giant with nothing but faith and a few stones. Like David, we need to trust God’s strength in every battle we encounter.

With renewed determination and reliance on God’s strength, David continued his ascent to kingship, nobility, and legend. He realized that true manhood involved facing life’s trials with unwavering faith and courage. David would receive the honor, and God would receive the glory. David had people rooting for him, willing to die with him, and a friend to die for him.

“Courage is quite an interesting word. Its roots trace back to the Latin word ‘cor,’ which literally means ‘heart.’ So, having courage essentially means having heart.

When we encourage someone, we give them a piece of our heart.

In those moments when fear creeps in, uncertainty clouds our minds, and despair seems overwhelming, the most powerful gift anyone can offer is courage. It’s not about being fixed or being made to conform. You truly long for the assurance that someone else’s heart beats in sync with yours. Remember, going it alone was never the intention.

John Wayne’s words resonate with today’s men, reminding them that courage isn’t about being fearless but bold and determined in the face of fear. So, whether tackling life’s trials or pursuing your ambitions, remember to tighten those bootstraps and get things done, even when fear tries to hold you back. Let’s climb, Cowboy.

Be a mentor.

Find a mentor.

Be a better man.

SUBSCRIBE | LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

30-Day men’s devotional, small group and bible study video courses, action plans for goal setting & more! Check out our FREE RESOURCES and find the tool you need to help you become the man you want to be!