How to measure a man
The world judges a man on what he consumes. God judges differently.
What makes a man?
Ask the world, and you’ll hear a list of externals: success, status, possessions and pleasures.
A man is measured by the car he drives, the brand he wears, the technology he owns, the strength he displays, and the experiences he collects. Consumer culture defines manhood by what he accumulates.
The Bible defines a man not by what he consumes but by what he produces — spiritually, morally and practically. Has he created a healthy marriage, a loving family and a better society?
True manhood isn’t about taking; it’s about giving.
The difference is profound. One leads to emptiness. The other leads to life.
The Rev. David Libbon, my pastor at Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Cornelius, N.C., got me thinking on this subject at our Wednesday morning men’s Bible study.
He told us: “The world tells men to consume, while the Bible tells us to produce. The culture wants consumers, but God wants producers.”
What the Bible says
Scripture emphasizes fruitfulness in work, character and relationships.
In Genesis, Adam is tasked with tending the garden, showing that men are called to cultivate and create. Proverbs praises the diligent worker, and Paul exhorts men to provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8) and bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
One of my favorite verses on this subject is Matthew 7:17-18, which tells us that a man’s life is measured by the fruit he produces.
"So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit."
And John 15:5 tells us how to do it — by staying connected to Jesus.
"I am the vine; you are the branches,” Jesus said. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
What other Christians say
Many Christians have thought deeply on this subject.
In two of my favorite books from C.S. Lewis, “The Abolition of Man” and “Mere Christianity,” Lewis critiques a culture that prioritizes pleasure and self-indulgence over virtue and responsibility.
Does that sound like 2025? Certainly, but Lewis wrote those books about 80 years ago! As Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
Lewis emphasized that true fulfillment comes from cultivating character and contributing to God's kingdom rather than merely consuming.
Pastor John Piper often speaks about living with purpose in books like “Don't Waste Your Life.” He contrasts a life of God-glorifying productivity with a shallow, consumer-driven existence focused on comfort and material wealth.
Fighting against an overwhelming secular culture is difficult. So how do we do it?
Andy Crouch, in his book, “Culture Making,” contrasts consuming with creating. He argues that Christians should shape culture by producing good, true and beautiful things rather than just passively consuming entertainment and goods.
Crouch wrote: “If we seek to change culture, we will have to create something new, something that will persuade our neighbors to set aside existing cultural goods and adopt ours.”
Instead of passively consuming what the world offers, biblical manhood calls us to lead with integrity, serve with humility, and create with purpose.
Will we be shaped by a culture of consumption — or will we become men who produce lives of eternal significance?
The answer begins with abiding in Christ—and bearing good fruit.