Tinsel, Traditions and Truth: A Minister’s Meanderings on a Christian Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That magical, serene end-of-year season which is inevitably marked by resurfacing of archived articles and social-media threads with urgent warnings: “14 evidences that Jesus wasn’t really born on December 25th!” “11 reasons Christmas isn’t really Christian!” “5 curses of Christmas trees, according to Jeremiah 10!” “Why Christmas is thinly veiled worship of Nimrod, Mithras, or the sun!”

This kind of pushback from inside (and outside) the Christian community has left many well-meaning Christians uneasy about Christmas. A quiet fear has arisen that by decking the halls we might be dishonoring the very Lord we long to honor. Is celebrating Christmas worth it? Is it really rooted in pagan traditions? Could it be harmful for my children to carry on these traditions to the next generation? With such lingering doubts, wouldn’t we be safer to cancel the whole thing and spend Advent wrapped in sackcloth, eating lentil soup (lukewarm, of course) by candlelight?

It seems as though every year, the dilemma is thrust back upon us -- just what, exactly, are Christians supposed to do with Christmas?

Of course, such perennial and long-lasting dilemmas can hardly be eradicated in a single article. My aim, then, is to help the people of New Song Bible Church think clearly about these issues by debunking a few common myths and making a brief defense for a Christian Christmas.

A BRIEF HISTORY…
Despite what has commonly been testified through facebook links, the earliest history of Christmas in the church is quite a bit clearer than eggnog. We do know that the 1st and 2nd century church did not have a formal celebration for Christ’s nativity. For the first two centuries the church’s calendar focused almost entirely on Easter. The birth of Jesus was remembered, of course, but no annual feast was attached to it.
Interestingly enough, the first link found between Christ’s birth and the date of December 25th is in the writings of an ancient historian named Sextus Julius Africanus, who made the connection as early as 196AD. What this means is that Christmas was correlated to December 25th before the Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the festival of the unconquered sun), which didn’t begin until the middle of the 4th century. So those who would try to tell you that Christians simply tacked on a bit of religion to the pagan Roman holiday should double-check their timeline. By the time we get to the well-known church father Chrysostom, he wrote in 386 AD that Christmas was celebrated on December 25th and described it as a “long-standing tradition.”

When the church finally formalized the observance of Christmas and attached an official feast to it, the Eastern church adopted the date January 6th, correlating it to the believed date of Jesus’ baptism. Meanwhile, the church in the West retained the date of December 25th, at least in part due to what would now be considered an unusual reason: Early Christian theologians (as far back as the second century) had developed a tradition that the world was created on March 25 and that Christ, the “second Adam,” was conceived on the same date. Counting nine months forward brought them to December 25.

This date coincided with the aforementioned Roman festival of Sol Invictus, “the festival of the unconquerable sun,” which had been moved to December 25th in 274 AD under Emperor Aurelian, according to historian Thomas Tayley, “to compete with the growing rate of Christianity.”

So no matter what you want to make of the early-church wrestling match between Christmas and Invictus, history is clear that Christmas won by a knockout. The west declared that the true unconquerable Son was none other than the Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ. The rest - you could say - is history. Christmas endured, while Invictus lives only in school textbooks.
(If you are interested in further researching the history of Christmas, I commend Wes Huff’s youtube video “Christmas isn’t pagan and here’s why.”)

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TRADITIONS??
What about the trees? The wreaths? The lights? The gifts? Yes, certainly many of these traditions have pre-Christmas roots in northern European winter practices. Evergreens traditionally symbolize life persisting through the winter. Fires and candles pushed back the long nights; gift-giving marked the turning of the year.

Yet when the Gospel moved north and west, missionaries and local churches did not forbid these customs. Instead, following the pattern of Paul in Athens, they heard the “unknown god” being groped toward in those ancient longings and declared, “Him you worship without knowing; let us tell you His name.” The symbols were redeemed, reoriented, filled with new meaning. In short, they were baptized. This was never seen as compromise, but conquest.

In the same way, when the Israelites plundered Egypt’s gold on the way out of slavery, God didn’t scold them for touching unclean treasure. He told them to melt it down and make lampstands for the tabernacle. The same principle can be applied to many traditions. Creation is stubbornly good, even when sinners have been using it wrong. Light in the darkness? Ours now. Our Savior is light. Feasting? Definitely ours. We have the most cause to celebrate. Trees that stay green when everything else dies? Certainly ours, by virtue of the resurrection hope that we’re actively celebrating.

EVEN CHRISTMAS TREES?!
There is no evidence that Germanic or Norse pagans ever decorated evergreen trees indoors as part of winter-solstice worship. The earliest clear Christmas-tree traditions are thoroughly Christian:

- The 8th-century legend of Boniface cutting down the sacred Oak of Thor, and after not being struck down by lightning, it’s said he pointed to the fir tree and dedicated it to Christ.
- In the 15th-16th centuries, “paradise trees” in Germany and the Baltic were used in church plays on December 24 to represent the Tree of Life, later brought indoors and lighted.
- Famously, Martin Luther began setting up a candle-lit tree in his home, meaning to capture the beauty of starlight shining through evergreens.

By the time Christmas trees became widespread in the 19th century, European paganism had been extinct for nearly a thousand years. There simply is no direct link between pagan European practices and modern day Christmas trees. So no, the Christmas tree in your living room is not a druidic demon portal. Every bulb you hang is a tiny echo of “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And if your Scandinavian ancestors once dragged a pine indoors to remind themselves that life would return in spring; well, they were more right than they knew. Life did return. His name is Jesus, and He showed up right on time, even if the calendar was approximate.

THE END OF THE MATTER, ALL HAS BEEN HEARD…
Ultimately, the manner and extent to which Christmas will be celebrated is up to each individual household. Two families rarely have identical convictions, and decisions about trees, presents, decorations, stockings, nativity scenes, wreaths, lights, etc. will have to be wrestled through in every home. Perhaps then, the most useful encouragement I can offer is this simple- celebrate Christmas. Whatever that might look like for you- find a way to express and celebrate God becoming flesh that suits both your conscience and the joyful gravity of the season.

So go ahead. String the lights. Bake the cookies shaped like stars and remember the faith of the wisemen. Teach your children of the real “St. Nicholas”, who punched a heretic in the face at the Council of Nicaea and spent years in prison for the faith. Sing “Joy to the World” at the top of your lungs, as if fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains were repeating the sounding joy. Let your house smell like cinnamon and pine and hope.

There is still much darkness in this world. The world is still broken. But for a few weeks every year, Christians across the globe unite to push back against the darkness with beauty, with laughter, and with children ripping open paper to find that someone thought of them. We get to practice the muscle memory of heaven: generous, joyful, light-filled, (and in some cases) slightly over-the-top celebration because our God is not stingy.

Remember, the angels didn’t show up to the shepherds with a seminar on historical dating controversies. They showed up with ““Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Fear not. Good news. Great joy. All peoples.

So, this Christmas, dear friends, whatever it may look like for you and yours- celebrate like people who have been forgiven much, loved first, and invited to the celebratory feast the universe will ever throw. Celebrate like the war is already won and we’re just waiting for the victory parade. Celebrate like redeemed pagans who know the real Light has come, and no amount of tinsel can outshine Him.

Merry Christmas!
Kevin

On a fateful October evening 508 years (and 9 days) ago, the cobblestone streets of Wittenburg, Germany, bustled with the hum of daily life- merchants haggling, children darting through alleys, church bells tolling in the distance, and citizens making busy in preparation for All Saints Day. By all appearances, certainly there was nothing significant about a simple Augustinian monk walking up the steps toward the Castle Church. That’s what monks did. Little did those citizens know, nor indeed could they have ever dreamed, that monk, described as ‘5 feet 7 inches tall… with a strong, square jaw… and dark, striking eyes,’ was appointed by God to ignite a spark of light, during a time of historic spiritual darkness, that would become a blazing fire of truth to every corner of the earth.
            The monk’s name was Martin Luther, and clutched in his hand as he ascended those 12 church steps was a sheaf of parchment inscribed with Ninety-five theses, or propositions, that outlined his grievances against the Roman Catholic Church’s corrupt practices. With steady hands, the 33-year-old monk nailed the document to the church’s heavy oak door, the sharp rap of hammer on nail cutting through the evening air.
Although his aim may not have been worldwide reformation of the church, in the same way that Christopher Columbus had not intended to find America just 25 years prior, Luther simply desired a proper debate to air his concerns (as Columbus only sought an efficient trade route from Europe to Asia). The best documented concern of Luther was the Church’s selling of indulgences. The power and corruption of the church had collided in such devastating ways that the forgiveness of sins itself had been put up for sale. For the right price, you could obtain ‘indulgences,’ forgiving your sins, or the sins of the dead. No wonder those old Catholic buildings were extravagant! Such unthinkable corruption proved to be the inevitable result when men were seen as holding absolute power over God’s Word.
God used the concerns of that Augustinian monk to ignite the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began that day but unfolded over decades, even centuries, as the church sought to return to biblical truth. In some ways, we’re still reforming today. The Five Solas- Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and God’s glory alone- emerged as pillars of this renewal, and as we approach Reformation Day on October 31, we give thanks for this moment and the Five Solas it birthed, each a reason to be grateful for the Reformation’s enduring legacy.
1. Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone
Sola scriptura declares that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for faith and practice. The Roman Church had buried God’s Word under layers of tradition, papal bulls, and clerical control, leaving believers dependent on a corrupt institution to interpret Scripture on their behalf. Luther’s insistence on Scripture’s supremacy, combined with Guttenberg’s recently invented printing press, freed believers to engage directly with God’s Word, translated into languages they could understand.
Let us be thankful for this gift every time we open our Bibles. Every quiet time we have with God’s word in the stillness of the morning, every time we hear a sermon with an open Bible before us, and every small group of wrestling with meaning and application together is a testimony both to the sufficiency of Scripture and, as Luther put it, ‘Scripture… is such that it can be understood by the simplest minds, provided they seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.’
2. Sola Fide: Faith Alone
Sola fide teaches that we are justified by faith alone, not by works or payments to the church. The Roman Church’s indulgence system turned salvation into a transaction, selling forgiveness and promising eternal rewards for money or deeds. Luther’s rediscovery of Romans 1:17—’The righteous shall live by faith’- helped to restore the truth that salvation comes through trusting Christ alone.
Unlike the Roman view’s burdensome requirements of seven rigid sacraments, pilgrimages, relic venerations, and all manner of works-based salvation, sola fide offers peace, knowing our salvation is secure by the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God of Jesus Christ. Let us be refreshed that faith alone is able to attach us to the life-giving benefits merited by Christ.
3. Sola Gratia: Grace Alone
Sola gratia affirms that salvation is by God’s grace alone, not earned through human merits. The Roman Church taught that good works, sacraments, and penances contributed to salvation, creating a system where grace was diluted by human achievement. The reformers proclaimed that God’s unmerited favor, freely given, is the sole source of our redemption (Ephesians 2:8-9). Human effort cannot polish the gospel; it can only muddy it.
Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Let us be thankful for a gospel that begins and ends with God’s grace.
4. Solus Christus: Christ Alone
Solus Christus declares that Christ alone is our mediator and savior. The Roman Church encouraged reliance on priests, saints, and relics as intermediaries, suggesting that Christ’s work needed supplementation. The reformers pointed to Christ’s sufficient sacrifice on the cross, our only bridge to God.
This truth must center our worship. Our hymns are to lift up Jesus’ name, our prayers seek His intercession, and our communion celebrates His sacrifice. Unlike the Roman view’s crowded path to God, solus Christus simplifies and strengthens our faith in Christ alone. We’re grateful for a Savior who stands alone as our hope.
5. Soli Deo Gloria: To God’s Glory Alone
Soli Deo gloria calls us to live for God’s glory alone, not the glory of human institutions. The Roman Church often exalted its own power, wealth, and leaders, diverting attention from God. The reformers taught that every aspect of life- worship, work, family- should honor God alone.
This must shape our church’s mission. From kid’s choir to small groups, from maintaining our lawns to ministering to widows, from Sunday morning to Wednesday evening, we are to seek to bring glory to God, not ourselves. Unlike the Roman view’s self-aggrandizement, soli Deo gloria gives purpose to our daily lives, whether teaching children or serving coworkers. We’re thankful for a faith that directs all praise to God.
How should we express our thanks this season?
In light of the enduring legacy of the reformation, let me suggest a few practical outworkings to honor our reformed heritage.

• Open your Bible. What, did you expect something new? Re-discover what a treasure we have been given in having God’s own Word in our language.
• Share the gospel. Understanding that salvation is by faith alone and in Christ alone ought to give us the utmost confidence to be bold.
• Prioritize worship. If the reformation taught us anything, it’s that human beings are unable to steal away the glory that is due only to His name. Give it to Him freely. Prioritize worshiping God corporately with His body every Sunday, and at home throughout the week.

And lastly, take some time, perhaps even right now, to thank God for the faithful saints who have gone before us. Although one particular Augustinian monk will forever have his name linked with a moment of hammer-to-nail defiance, many others, some of them nameless in history, helped pave the way for such a moment, and it often cost them their lives. We stand on the shoulders of spiritual giants. The best way to show our gratitude? Live like Christians. Love God’s Word, share the gospel with boldness, and live worshipful lives.

Having Babies, Raising boys, and Making Men…
a Minister’s Meanderings on Masculinity in the Church

Where are all the men in the church? It’s a crisis that has been plaguing the western church in statistically observable ways since the industrial revolution, yet the last several decades have truly lifted the veil to expose the damage done in local, American churches.
It’s a phenomenon you’ve likely felt firsthand. It may even describe your own household. In general terms; women seem more eager to go to church than men. Pastorally, I never could have predicted how often I’d witness it. A wife, dragging her husband to church week after week, allthewhile wishing that he was doing the leading. When his lack of enthusiasm and participation gradually wears down his bride, one of two things happen; she begins attending without him, or the entire family stays home, severed from the blood-bought body of Jesus Christ.
The result? Men are now firmly a dwindling minority in the pews, making up just 39% of congregants in our nation. The other result? Churches, now shepherding an imbalanced 61% of women (obviously), have shifted their focus to accommodate women and children. The other other result? Churches have experientially leaned into more emotionally expressive worship styles, emphases of relationships and feelings, and a general softness that, while not inherently wrong, lacks the rugged counterbalance of discipline, strong doctrine, and bold leadership that attracts men. Sermons shy away from the hard edges of truth, programs cater to feminine sensibilities, and the resulting church often feels less like a fortress of truth and worship and more like a nursery. Thus, men feel less welcome and ‘ministered to’ than ever, and the crisis spirals.
A TACTICAL ASSAULT
To the biblically discerning, it should be no surprise that Satan would launch such an attack against masculinity in our culture and church. The enemy is no fool; he knows that institutions thrive when balanced with godly, masculine leadership alongside their feminine, nurturing counterparts. This is best illustrated in the microcosm of the church; the household.
When a man embraces his calling as a protector and provider- imaging Christ, who laid down His life for His bride- his home becomes a sanctuary of divine order. Ephesians 5:25-28 states it powerfully; a husband’s sacrificial love, poured out in imitation of Jesus, liberates his wife to thrive in her God-given role; nurturing children, managing a home, building community, etc, all with freedom and joy. Children, too, come alive under such leadership- sons learn to wield strength with humility, daughters yearn for men who mirror their father’s godliness. This is the beauty of biblical masculinity: not domineering, but serving; not lording, but lifting; not crushing, but cultivating. Satan attacks men because their absence fractures the family, the first line of defense for the church. When men falter, homes crumble, and the church staggers.
THE TURNING OF THE TIDE?
Last Saturday, our church saw 27 (by my count) men respond to the call to begin a ‘men’s fellowship’ gathering. What a rare pleasure to bear firsthand witness to such a diverse group of men. Seasoned elders with decades of wisdom- teenagers- fathers juggling careers and family- young professionals seeking purpose- retirees reflecting on legacies, all gathering around the table heavy with bacon and Bibles. You may think that a couple of dozen men gathering for breakfast, a short devotional, and a testimony of grit and grace isn’t such a big deal. But it is. It’s a tangible sign of what appears to be a growing trend, testified to by pastors around the country. Men are waking up. And they’re waking up hungry.
Hungry for the meat of God’s Word. Hungry for fellowship, the kind in which iron sharpens iron. Hungry for brotherhood, and for the challenge to rise to the heights to which biblical masculinity can take us. Why now? Perhaps it's the backlash against a hyper-feminized society that's left men adrift, coupled with a growing awareness in evangelical circles of the masculinity crisis- fueled by books, podcasts, and movements calling men back to their roots. Even Gen Z is showing flickers of faith, with some reports noting a surge in religious curiosity as a final rebellion against secular despair. The tide is turning, not by human might, but by God’s sovereign grace. Yet, we stand at a crossroads, and the question burns: where do we start?
MEANWHILE, AT THE CARLSON HOME…
Next week, Lord willing, my wife and I will be welcoming our fifth (!) son into the world, alongside our one, precious daughter (I warned you in the title I’d be meandering a bit!). The sensations are rather familiar in our household- those tiny kicks, the last-minute preparations, imaginative discussions of names, the buzzing excitement amongst our other children, eager to welcome their baby brother into the world. And amongst the blissful chaos, the thought strikes me like a hammer; this is where the resurgence of biblical masculinity ultimately begins.
It begins in the cradle. It begins in the living room, around the dinner table, and through the daily rhythms of family life. This is the frontline of the battle for masculinity in the church. While I’m brimming with expectancy in the uptick in men ready to return to their roles of godly leadership, I also recognize that such a ‘movement’ will never be sustainable unless we train up the next generation to recognize their roles in God’s good order.
So parents of young boys, you must start now; teach your sons to love the church. Teach them to love the Lord God. Teach them of the high and holy calling of cherishing and serving the Body of Christ, and her immeasurable value of being bought with the very blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Teach her of the church’s victory, and of the kind of courage God uses to advance His Kingdom.
Parents of young girls, teach your daughters to desire men who love the church. Teach them to settle for nothing less, in their choosing of a husband, a man who will stand firm in the faith, eager to serve humbly and lead boldly- not by the world’s measure, but by the cross. A man who is distant from the church will never be an effective spiritual leader in the home. Teach them of the joy and beauty of a life lived in the context of normal, gospel preaching churches.
This is the battleground where victory is forged: in bedtime prayers, in disciplined instruction, in lives modeled after the Man of Sorrows who conquered sin. Fathers, pour into your boys with relentless devotion. Grandfathers, speak wisdom into the young, your gray hairs a crown of credibility. Single men, invest in your brothers- mentor the fatherless, strengthen the weak. Every man, hear this charge: your influence is not optional but essential. The enemy prowls, but Christ has overcome, and through faithful men- raising sons, discipling brothers, building the church- we will see His kingdom advance. Be of good courage. Take heart. The tide is turning, and Christ does win, so let’s set about our daily responsibilities with joy and grace. Your labors start at home, but their fruit, by God’s grace, will reach the ends of the earth.

More Ministerial Meanderings on Masculinity in the Church
(the following was adapted from Pastor Kevin’s devotional at the men’s breakfast September 13, 2025)  

Mr. Nice-Guy vs. Mr. Goodman As feminism continues its methodical invasion through western culture, a subtle yet pervasive pressure has been applied to the men in our churches… the call to be “Mr. Nice Guy.” What I mean by that (of course there’s nothing wrong with being nice) is that the highest aim for men has become that they are agreeable, inoffensive, and universally approved in pretty much everything they do.

I came across this idea from Michael Foster about a year ago, and after digging into Scripture, I’ve been chewing on this important distinction. What is the difference between being a “nice guy” and being a “good man?” Is being agreeable and enemy-less the highest calling for the Christian man, or were we created for more?

The Burden of Niceness It’s hardly a secret that our current society is one that does not prize (or often tolerate) masculinity (at least, not in men, haha). Instead, our culture lauds men who avoid conflict, suppress strength, and seek the approval of others above all else. For decades, our culture has subtly taught that masculine traits- competitiveness, boldness, risk-taking- are to be restrained, even shamed. Boys are often urged to soften their energy, to prioritize sensitivity over strength, to fit in rather than stand out. The result is a generation of men conditioned to believe that being liked is the measure of success.

Scripture, however, offers a different perspective. In Galatians 1:10, Paul asks pointedly, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Pursuing human approval leads us to serve from a place of insecurity, constantly striving to earn the favor of those around us. This is the nice guy’s burden- a life shaped by the fleeting opinions of others. In order to please man, and in order to please our culture, all men have to do is be a ‘nice guy’…

In contrast, God’s Word reveals our true calling. From Genesis 1:28, we see that men were created in God’s image for action: “Be fruitful, fill the earth, subdue it.” Though the Fall introduced toil and hardship, our core purpose endures: to lead, protect, provide, cultivate, and advance God’s kingdom. As believers, we stand secure in the truth of Ephesians 1:6- that we are “accepted in the Beloved” through Christ. This divine acceptance frees us from the need for human validation, empowering us to live as good men, rooted in the sacrificial love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Path of a Good Man I have good news and bad news: The bad news is that being “Mr. Nice-guy” is far easier than being “Mr. Goodman.” The good news? That’s okay. We’ve been designed to do hard things, and the rewards for the discipline of godly masculinity far outweigh the comfort of mere niceness. To be a good man is to embrace a life of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to God’s truth. Consider these seven hallmarks of godly manhood, drawn from Scripture, and how we see their relevance in our lives today: Good men…

1. Confront Sin with Courage (even when it’s uncomfortable)

A nice guy avoids difficult conversations to maintain harmony. A good man speaks truth, even at personal risk, as Nathan did when confronting King David’s sin with Bathsheba. His bold words led to repentance and restoration. Today, this might mean addressing a brother’s destructive habits, correcting your children with firmness, or challenging gossip within the church. Proverbs 27:6 assures us, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

2. Make Difficult Decisions (even into the unknown)

Nice guys hesitate, seeking consensus to avoid friction. Good men act decisively, trusting God’s Word for their guidance. When God told Abraham to leave his homeland, he packed up his family and went. When Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac, he got his camping gear together, and took his son hiking 3 days into the woods. For us, this could mean pursuing a ministry calling over a comfortable career, enforcing family disciplines that disrupt the status quo, or following God’s leading to try something new. Joshua 1:9 exhorts, “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

3. Stand Firm Against Cultural Pressures (even when it costs)

Nice guys blend in to avoid rejection. Good men stand out for God’s truth, as Daniel did, refusing to compromise his faith despite the threat of the lions’ den. His faithfulness glorified God, even when it meant violating Babylonian law. Today, this might mean defending biblical marriage, upholding the sanctity of life, or resisting unethical practices at work. 1 Peter 3:14-15 encourages us, “If you suffer for doing good, you are blessed. Don’t fear their threats; always be prepared to give an answer for your hope.”

4. Sacrifice Selflessly (even when no one notices)

Nice guys give with hidden expectations. Good men give freely, trusting in God’s provision. Paul endured hardship for the Gospel- beatings, hunger, imprisonment, and much more- not for recognition, but to share Christ’s life-giving gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). Today, this may look like providing for your family without complaint, forgiving deep wounds, or serving the church without expecting praise.

5. Provide and Protect with Steadfast Faithfulness (even when it’s a grind) 

Nice guys grumble when the burden grows heavy. Good men embrace their role as providers and protectors. Boaz exemplified this, ensuring Ruth and Naomi’s safety and provision with integrity. Today, this means working diligently to support your household, guarding your family’s faith against worldly influences, or aiding a struggling neighbor.

6. Mentor and Disciple Others (even when you don’t have time) 

Nice guys stay surface-level to avoid deep commitments. Good men pour into the next generation. Paul mentored Timothy as a son, urging him to “fight the good fight” despite persecution (2 Timothy 2:2). For us, this could mean discipling a younger believer, guiding your children through challenges, or teaching others in the church. Titus 2:6-8 calls men to “encourage the young men to be self-controlled… so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”

7. Repent when you are Wrong (even when your pride objects)

Nice guys will deny any shortcomings in order to protect their image. Good men confess their sins and seek transformation. Peter, even after denying Jesus Christ, repented and was restored into a preaching ministry, where he led thousands to faith. This humility might mean admitting to your wife when you’ve been impatient, seeking forgiveness from a friend (or even your child!), or breaking habits that harm your witness.

A Modern Example of a Good Man The world does not oppose nice guys- it opposes good men, those who live boldly for God’s truth. The recent and tragic loss of Charlie Kirk, a brother in Christ and founder of Turning Point USA, serves as a sobering reminder of this reality. Charlie was not targeted for being merely kind or agreeable, though he was known for his generosity and compassion. Rather, he was a good man- fearless, mission-driven, and unapologetic in his commitment to biblical principles. He stood firm in defending the sanctity of marriage, the value of human life, and the truth of the Gospel, even in the face of a deeply divided and often hostile culture.

Charlie’s life was marked by the very qualities we’ve described. He confronted sin and error with courage, speaking truth in love to a generation in need of clarity. He made difficult decisions, prioritizing God’s mission over personal comfort, building a movement that equipped young people to stand for their faith. He stood against cultural pressures, refusing to compromise on biblical values, even when it brought rejection and scorn. He sacrificed selflessly, pouring his time, energy, and resources into advancing God’s kingdom without seeking personal acclaim. He provided and protected, not only for his family but for countless young believers he mentored, encouraging them to live with conviction. And in his humility, he consistently pointed to Christ as the source of his strength.

Charlie Kirk’s death was a profound loss, not only for his family and community but for all who value the courage it takes to live as a good man in a world that often despises God’s design. His legacy challenges us to examine our own lives: Are we content to be nice guys, blending into the culture to avoid conflict, or are we willing to embrace the costly call of godly manhood, as Charlie did? His example reminds us that the path of a good man is neither easy nor safe, but it is one that leaves an eternal impact.

A Call to Action Brothers, we are called to more than niceness; we are called to godliness. Through Christ, we are already accepted as sons (Romans 8:17). Let this truth anchor you as you step into your God-given role. This week, choose one area to act with courage: lead your family in prayer, mentor a younger believer, or take a stand for truth. The path of godly manhood is not easy, but as 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us, “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Let us honor God- and the legacy of men like Charlie Kirk- by living as good men, building, protecting, and advancing His kingdom with steadfast faith.