What is a Noble Man?
It still sounds strange to me when I speak of my now husband. After all I was a widow for nearly 13 years. Today, I get to celebrate him because it is his birthday. He is a NOBLE man by name and in character. In this photo, he is buying an Olive Tree (a symbol of peace) to plant at my children’s Epiphany Ranch in East Texas.
What is a NOBLE man? Why is he needed so much in our society today? What could the result be if men were characterized by strength, faith, optimism, kindness, honor, dignity and nobility?
I’ve watched my “Noble” man attend his Men’s Bible Study groups (three different ones weekly) where he studies, not only God’s Word, but he studies people by interacting with them. He is confident and his social skills allow him to find what is special in every person. Then, he rewards them with encouraging words.
We’re inundated with tales of “noble” acts performed by men in every arena of life. From the bedtime stories we’re told as children to the movies, the professional sports players and media we watch, we see men that are glorified and hailed as champions and heroes.
Media expresses that men must be valiant, brave, and fit into several preconceived stereotypes: the strong man, the rich man, the looker, the charmer, the hero. Those stereotypes fail to really define what makes a man truly worthy, upright, and noble.
No one seems to recognize the man who quietly goes about his life doing good and noble things. No one pays any mind to the family man, the man of few words, the man who is courageous but doesn’t necessarily have to rescue people in slow motion to prove it (like all the movies portray).
There’s a difference between being noble and doing noble things. We confuse the one-time act of nobility with the character trait of being noble. For a man to truly live a noble life and be a noble person, he must leave his mark on humanity in small, consistent ways that demonstrate and define his character over time.
He must be selfless, stand up consistently for what’s good and right even when it’s unseen or unpopular, and never yield his integrity to what’s convenient or common. A noble man cares more about others than himself.
He adapts to the needs of those around him. He builds successful relationships, flourishing families, and a prosperous career; not for the glory of those things themselves, but simply because everything he touches becomes infused with his integrity and good intent.
A noble man is not a man who does one or two good things in his life and then rests on his laurels the rest of the way. As I write this blog about men of nobility, I must apply what I am saying about my NOBLE man who picks up people who don’t or can’t drive and takes them to their medical appointments. He goes to impoverished schools where he models his manhood to young boys who see a hero in this kind and generous man. He doesn’t brag about being a do-gooder. It seems he can’t help but be one.
A noble man is NOT perfect, and he makes plenty of mistakes. But he quickly asks for forgiveness and from those mistakes he strives to learn from them.
The world needs noble men. Our sphere of influence needs noble men. Our families need noble men. Humanity needs noble men.
I am so thankful for the NOBLE man who is my husband. Happy Birthday, Carl Noble! Thank you for giving an amazing example of what a NOBLE man looks and acts like!