Endorsements
We modern men are facing our biggest identity crisis in centuries. Nathan Clarksons Good Man offers a wholistic and biblical lens through which to view our lives as sons of the King. In a world obsessed with noise, fame, and greatness, we have the opportunity to live quiet, courageous, epic lives filled with authentic goodness. Christ Himself beckons: The time is short. The stakes are high. Adventure awaits.
Jared Brock , author of Bearded Gospel Men and A Year of Living Prayerfully
In a culture that is overwhelmed with increasing male suicide rates, more and more mass shootings committed by men, and continued male abuses, we are in desperate need of a fresh and real hope for todays culture of men. In Good Man , Nathan does an exquisite job of taking us on a journey that redefines what it means to be a good, not a perfect, man. I pray this book will make it into the hands of as many hurting men as possible.
Kait Warman , relationship expert, speaker, and founder of Heart of Dating
Nathan Clarksons newest book, Good Man , is an intimate and honest portrayal of what God considers to be a good man. Nathan strips away our preconceived notions and then brilliantly and biblically empowers us to feel whole, hopeful, and inspiredthe very things that God desires men to embody in their everyday lives! Its a must-read!
Guy Lia , cowriter of Marriage Triggers , TV and film producer, and founder of The Firepit
Good Man takes a unique dive into mental health and society today. Being a guy in todays day in age can be challenging, and Nathan understands that and challenges you to be more vulnerable in your walk. I love this book and highly recommend it to all.
Trevor Tyson , writer, speaker, and media personality
Good Man is a dangerous title these days, yet the pursuit is as timeless and important now as it ever was. Nathan Clarksons wrestling with what makes a man good, what makes him better tomorrow than he is today, is honest and invites us to do the same. In an age of mockery and skepticism, Clarkson seeks the complex nature of goodness with an earnestness and balanced optimism we could all learn from.
Sam Eldredge , coauthor of Killing Lions and executive editor of And Sons
Im a mom of boys, and I love this book! Nathans transparency is refreshing. Good Man will influence men to find value and self-worth in the One who created them, the One who calls them perfect, not by their doing but by the Savior who died on the cross for them, taking them from ordinary to extraordinary to be used no matter what their pasts looks like.
Shari Rigby , actress in Overcomer , author of Beautifully Flawed , and founder of The Women in My World
Im really proud of my friend for writing a book on what he aspires to be. But Im even more proud of him for being honest about where he is at, because Nathan knows the deeper truthto be who God desires us to be, we must be built on the truth that we are unconditionally loved as we are, Gods beloved child.
David Leo Schultz , director of Ragamuffin , Brennan , and God s Fool
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
2020 by Nathan Clarkson
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2348-4
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published in association with The Bindery Agency, www.TheBinderyAgency.com
Dedication
To my father, Clay, and my brother, Joel,
for showing me my entire life
what a good man looks like.
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Introduction: Good Men Are ...
1. Adventurous
2. Devout
3. Heroic
4. Honest
5. Brotherly
6. Healthy
7. Emotional
8. Authentic
Good Man // A Poem
9. Romantic
10. Wise
12. Fighting
13. Simple
14. Servant-Hearted
15. Committed
Afterword: What Now?
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
Introduction
Good Men Are...
I didnt really want to write a book titled Good Man .
Not because I dont think its a worthy subject to engage with, but rather because I felt that my fears, faults, and failures disqualified me from even broaching the subject. I do longand always haveto be a good man. But honestly, I dont always feel that I am one.
When my family or friends tell me, Youre a good man, I feel a twinge of guilt accepting the compliment, knowing the truth of who I really am: a struggling, broken man who wants to be good but fails more often than not.
But in looking through the Good Book in preparation for this project, I found that most of the people God used to build His kingdom and spread His message were flawed, imperfect, and constantly failing individuals.
Thomas was a doubter.
Peter was a liar.
David was an adulterer.
John the Baptist was crazy.
Paul was a murderer.
And so on and so forth. Each of these men had huge character flaws and moral failings, but the one thing I found in each of them was that despite their shortcomings, they had the wanta desire to grow, mature, and follow the call the Creator had for their lives.
And through this, through their stories of imperfectly following God, I discovered good men arent perfect men. Being a good man isnt the absence of failing; instead, its the determination to decide, and keep on deciding, to get up and continue on.
To keep fighting to become the men they were designed to be.
When I hear the words good man , I am bombarded with mental images of what a good man might look like. Even if I begin with only the word man , my guess is that many things come to your mind.
Real men work out. Real men dont dance. Real men hunt. Real men can fight. Real men drink beer, not wine. And the classic, Real men dont cry.
But while many of these phrases are tongue-in-cheek, they affect us. Gradually, our definition of a man starts looking a lot like the stereotypes weve seen for decades.
Do you envision a bearded, muscle-bound, gun-shooting stoic with a cigarette in hand and whiskey on his breath? Hes able to hunt, fight, and woo women with ease? Maybe hes a rich and charismatic businessman whos able to take from the world what he wants, showing only undeterred drivenever faltering. Or maybe hes a rock star, living a life of pleasure and fame, who does what he wants when he wants.