Real Men

Since we have moved to South Carolina I have been attending a weekly Men’s Bible Study where we are seeking out authentic manhood. It has been very beneficial as a compass providing direction for plotting the course of my life and my family.

Sometimes when I am at work at my Wal-Mart I pick up a magazine from the rack to pass the time. One such day I picked up a Men’s Journal and inside I read about adventures men experience, workouts to try and gear to buy. As I read about some of these adventures, my heart started racing and I got really anxious. “Why am I sitting in Walmart, (a question many of you may be asking too) I need to be planning an adventure trip in the near future or I will not be living my life to the fullest of being a manly man’s man.”

As I read the magazine I also noticed there were many undertones and messages that would say a real man takes these types of adventures, has this kind of body and has a garage full of outdoor gear. These messages started to clash with what I was learning in my Bible study.

Yesterday I was reading an article from The Counsel of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood that identified with the clashing messages. This is an excerpt of the article. It starts with a comment from a young man living with a young woman.

“"I don’t know if I dare get married", [the young man] he said. No, this lack of courage to take on commitment and responsibility marks more and more people. The young of today can "bungee jump", seek the challenges of extreme sport and set off for remote corners of the world in search of adventure. But the courage for commitment and responsible love "in good days and bad" is being lost by steadily more and more. The Church of Christ and we who preach God’s word must give them that courage and call them to their true image, in Jesus Christ!” [ The Mature Man: Biblical Perspectives on Being a Man in Our Time Wednesday, November 17th, 2004by Thomas Bjerkholt The Counsel on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.]

Our example of authentic manhood is not found on the cover of Men’s Journal, but in the pages of the Bible. If you will unpack the scriptures and compare the failings of the first Adam to the triumph of the second Adam (Jesus) you will see a clear picture of authentic manhood. I would love to provide you with a more practical response describing our example in Christ, but that is another post for another day.

A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and expects the greater rewards that come from the Lord. (definition of a real man from my Bible study)
Here’s to the real men who are courageously committing to responsible love in their homes.

(Authors Note: I think adventure trips are fun and will take them when I have the chance with my wife and kids. Men’s Journal is a great source for these types of ideas. In this article I am trying to focus on what a real man is deep in the core of his being.)