3 Parts of A Complete Man — The Inspired Legacy

There has been a lot of focus placed on manhood in the last few years. In fact, entire new businesses have emerged from this newfound focus on manhood. As a result, you see lots of ads focused on beards and beard grooming products, axes, knives, guns and ammo, rugged outerwear, microbrews, whiskeys, and scotch, along with every other cliche manly product you can think of. It must be working because people are buying, but these are surface-level components of manhood. The market is selling short what it truly means to be a complete man.

So what is a complete man? To understand this, we must first understand what makes a man, or any human for that matter. In simple terms, people are spirits who have a soul and live in a body.

We are a three-part whole divinely created to be God-conscious, self-conscious, and world-conscious. However, to operate in a manner consistent with our divine creation, we need to understand the function of each part.

Body

The body sometimes referred to as our “flesh”, is purely physical and consists of our five senses: hearing, smell, sight, touch, and taste. It’s our physical shell that the world sees but is only temporary in terms of eternity.

Soul

The soul is who we are as individuals. It’s where our emotions, reason, will, desire, and personality comes from. Our choices, feelings, and self-image all come from our soul. It’s the window between our body and our spirit.

Spirit

The spirit is eternal and, if you’re a believer in Christ, it’s where he resides in you. Our faith, hope, and love come from our spirit. It’s the source of our inner light.

When you visualize these three parts, imagine a three-ringed target with the body occupying the outer ring, the soul occupying the next inner ring, and the spirit occupying the center. This is the divine order of our three-part whole. In other words, for us to operate as truly complete men, we need to place the right amount of emphasis on each part.

Our spirit is our core, therefore, we should consider it king. After all, our heavenly King, Christ, resides there. Our time, attention, and energy should be adequately focused on supporting our spirit.

Our soul should be considered a servant of the spirit. All of our thoughts and desires should be subject to whatever the needs of our spirit are.

Our body, a temporary shell, is a mere slave to our spirit. Our actions, the words we speak and the deeds we perform, should only serve our spirit in ways that demonstrate the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (more on that in the coming weeks).

Earlier, I mentioned that the soul was a window between our body and spirit. Here’s why that’s so important. Because our soul is where our thoughts reside, wherever we direct our focus (making money, sports, sex, work, exercise, or God), that area of focus becomes our god.

Don’t misunderstand me, making money, exercise, etc., those things by themselves aren’t bad, but when one or more of those things get all of our time, attention, and energy, we allow those things to take the place of our one true God.

Therefore, sin is the result of allowing the five senses of our body to supersede the divine nature of our spirit. In essence, sin results when the divine order of the three-part whole is flipped inside-out. In sin, our body becomes our king and our spirit becomes its slave. When this happens, it’s impossible to let Christ fully into our lives. When this happens, we’re incomplete and an incomplete man cannot effectively lead.

What are you doing in your life to ensure your three-part whole remains in the correct order? Who, or what is your king? If it’s not your spirit, what will you do to change that?

Our Latest Podcast Episodes

Breaking Free from Addictive Screens // with Doug Smith

Most of us are UNINTENTIONAL with screens, but the architects within the tech industry intentionally make their content distracting, manipulative, and addictive. My conversation with Doug Smith, author of the best-selling book [UN]INTENTIONAL, shows how our obsession with screens can take us to places we regret. And in his book, he unpacks a biblical approach to breaking free from our addiction to screens. This conversation, and Doug’s book, are essential tools for men as we strive to lead ourselves and our families with integrity and intentionality.

How to Get Unstuck In Life // with Joe Prim

I talk to so many men who feel stuck in life, which seems to be a growing problem in our society. If you feel stuck, for whatever reason, then this episode might be for you. My guest in this episode is Joe Prim, the author of OPEN: Six Life-Changing Principles. In this conversation, Joe unpacks these principles and clarifies why we get stuck and how we can get unstuck utilizing his six life-changing principles.

Why Improved Fitness Will Level Up Your Entire Life // with Jordan Miller

Men today face many challenges, including depression, apathy, and a general lack of purpose, arguably resulting from the soft lifestyles we have the luxury of living in our modern age. To compensate and reclaim key components of masculinity, men must replace physical work once associated with survival with physical training at home or in the gym. In this episode, my guest, Jordan Miller of Run2Gun, helps me break down the many benefits of physical fitness. We talk about the importance of having a growth mindset, how improved fitness leads to better performance, and how the discipline we develop in the gym bleeds into every area of life because training is a metaphor for life.

Talkin' Politics and Religion Without Killin' Each Other // with Corey Nathan

Humanity seems to have devolved when it comes to our ability to have difficult conversations. Nowhere is this more apparent than when we talk about politics and religion. Today, my guest is Corey Nathan, host of the podcast Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other. In this episode, Corey shares his experience growing up in a Jewish household and how he navigated difficult conversations with his family when he became a born-again Christian. He also shares insight from his ongoing theological studies and training and discusses how we as Christians can and should approach difficult conversations while exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit.

Discovering Jesus as the Standard for Masculinity // with Josh Khachadourian

As society attempts to redefine manhood, many men grapple with life's challenges, not knowing that Jesus provides a plan for life while also setting the standard for manhood. This episode features Josh Khachadourian, author of the book The Standard: Discovering Jesus as the Standard for Masculinity. In our conversation, we unpack Josh's book and discuss how men can take dominion in life with Jesus as the standard for our masculinity.

Being A Solopreneur and Creating the Life You Want // with Gabe Nelson

I know many men who dream about starting their own business, but entrepreneurship—or solopreneurship—comes with many challenges. Today's guest is Gabe Nelson. He specializes in helping people overcome the challenges of business ownership and master their finances along the way, helping them create the life they want for themselves and, potentially, generations to come. If you're hungry to carve out your own path in life, then do not miss this conversation.

Learning to Walk On Water One Step At A Time // with Griffin Coiner

Have you ever felt called to something but found yourself unable to make the leap of faith necessary to make your dream a reality? Perhaps you’ve been unable to discern if your vision aligns with God’s plan for your life? Or, maybe you’re tired of living life on your terms but unsure of how to put God in charge? If you can relate to any of this, then this episode is for you.

Change Your Habits & Change Your Life // with Mark Henderson

In this first episode of my fourth year podcasting, I talk about why I needed to take a break from the show, the process of returning, and, more importantly, what I hope you all can learn from my experience.

The Purpose and Power of the Holy Spirit // with Bruce Blumer

There are a lot of misconceptions about the Holy Spirit that can cause us to miss out on experiencing a life of greater purpose. As leaders in our homes, we need to understand who the Spirit is and his role in our families' lives. Join me and my guest, Bruce Blumer, as we unpack his new book Mighty Winds and Gentle Whispers: The Purpose and Power of the Holy Spirit. If you're looking for a practical resource on how to develop a closer relationship with God, based on biblical knowledge and backed with inspirational stories, you'll want to tune in.

Inside the Fight Against Human Trafficking // with David Zach

There are few things more grotesque and evil than the exploitation of women and children for sexual gain. Sadly, there's an entire industry devoted to it, fueled by the insatiable sexual appetites of men around the world. David Zach, the lead singer/songwriter for the band Remedy Drive, joins the show to talk about his role with The Exodus Road, a counter-trafficking organization committed to cracking down on the criminal networks responsible for trafficking women and teenagers around the world. This is a problem created by men, and it will require good men like David Zach to step up and take action if we hope to bring it to an end.