Man Up
Man, oh man. See what I did there? I'm a dad, I'm allowed to make lame jokes. Seriously though, what makes a man these days? Our image of what manliness is has changed a lot over the years; for better or worse. Every societal image of what a man is has been flawed, I'll start by saying that. We're almost constantly bombarded with images of what a "real man" should be, and there are some discrepancies. So, let's have a little man to man chat.
Today's contemporary culture shows us a rugged lumberjack, but also a savvy business as real men, while each claim to be manlier than the other based purely on worldly measuring. God gives us another picture for manhood, a somewhat simpler picture of manhood.
The worldly man today is in an extended period of adolescence. Never growing up, never settling down, just wandering. He lacks maturity, responsibility, and honour. Instead pursuing what they're told are the conquests of men; make lots of money, don't get married, don't have kids, party, drink, and sleep with as many women as possible. This man is purely a consumer.
Being a man is not about consumption, but rather production. What is he producing in his life? How does he manage his household? Is he reputable among colleagues and strangers? Or does he have a life in the shadows?
We're going to delve a little further into the cultural versus the biblical outlooks here. Let's keep it simple and look at three categories; Wealth, Health, and Occupation.
WEALTH:
A man should be able to responsibly handle his finances, he may not have 6 figure in his bank account, but his bills are paid on time, he's generous with his giving, and his family does not go without. He might not have the massive 10 bedroom 10 bathroom mansion with a swimming pool, but his family has shelter and are warm. He might not drive the newest Porsche or Mercedes (I prefer BMW myself), or even have a car at all; let's be honest here, a car is really a luxury, not a necessity. Ultimately his family is looked after, as are those around him.
HEALTH:
A man should take care of himself, how can you watch out for your family if you're not in good health. Our body is the temple of the holy spirit, how are you maintaining that temple? The world says a man should be in perfect physique, with a shredded six pack and big biceps. Realistically not every man is going to look like Thor, but we should aim to be in good health. I want to be in good enough shape that my son has an example of healthy lifestyle, that I can keep up playing with him, and that I can be here long enough to see him grow and prosper.
OCCUPATION:
The world says we as men should be wealthy millionaires business doctors, or conversely rugged lumberjack carpenters that can fix every piece of machinery on the planet. The bible has no list of occupations a man must follow really. It's much more simple, in any job or task we fill we should do so to the best of our abilities and to the glory of God. "Working as though we worked for Christ Himself". At the end of the day, it's about whether or not your family's needs are met. If that's performing open heart surgery on the president or flipping a burger at McD's, the end result is the same. And ultimately the number in our bank account has no real implications in perspective of eternity, so there is that.
At the end of the day a single incident can take you from "top of the world" to "bottom of the barrel". If you lose the ability to work, or a poor decision leaves you unemployed, and every day there are people losing their jobs to technological advancements, you might not make your next car payment, and your fridge might look empty real quick. Does that mean you're less of a man?
I've been in that position, and it isn't fun. The identity crisis alone can drive a man mad. None of these things truly determine what a man is worth.
So....
How do we measure the worth of a man?
A man is a leader, and overseer of his family, and circles of influence (friends, coworkers, etc.). In 1 Timothy 3 we're given a picture of the qualities of an overseer, a leader, in other words what a man should be. Funny enough, none of them can be bought. A man should be:
What really makes a man, is his character; how we handle ourselves, both in private and public; nothing material, but simply how we live. Are we living the best life we can?
Lord, refresh my identity as a man. I often get caught up in what the world says a man is; yet your word lays out the truth of what a man is. A man is not his material wealth, but his character and his love. Help me walk in my true identity as a man of God, a leader to my family, and helper to those around me.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
1 THESSELONIANS 4:11
1 CORINTHIANS 4:7
1 JOHN 2:15-17
Today's contemporary culture shows us a rugged lumberjack, but also a savvy business as real men, while each claim to be manlier than the other based purely on worldly measuring. God gives us another picture for manhood, a somewhat simpler picture of manhood.
The worldly man today is in an extended period of adolescence. Never growing up, never settling down, just wandering. He lacks maturity, responsibility, and honour. Instead pursuing what they're told are the conquests of men; make lots of money, don't get married, don't have kids, party, drink, and sleep with as many women as possible. This man is purely a consumer.
Being a man is not about consumption, but rather production. What is he producing in his life? How does he manage his household? Is he reputable among colleagues and strangers? Or does he have a life in the shadows?
We're going to delve a little further into the cultural versus the biblical outlooks here. Let's keep it simple and look at three categories; Wealth, Health, and Occupation.
WEALTH:
A man should be able to responsibly handle his finances, he may not have 6 figure in his bank account, but his bills are paid on time, he's generous with his giving, and his family does not go without. He might not have the massive 10 bedroom 10 bathroom mansion with a swimming pool, but his family has shelter and are warm. He might not drive the newest Porsche or Mercedes (I prefer BMW myself), or even have a car at all; let's be honest here, a car is really a luxury, not a necessity. Ultimately his family is looked after, as are those around him.
HEALTH:
A man should take care of himself, how can you watch out for your family if you're not in good health. Our body is the temple of the holy spirit, how are you maintaining that temple? The world says a man should be in perfect physique, with a shredded six pack and big biceps. Realistically not every man is going to look like Thor, but we should aim to be in good health. I want to be in good enough shape that my son has an example of healthy lifestyle, that I can keep up playing with him, and that I can be here long enough to see him grow and prosper.
OCCUPATION:
The world says we as men should be wealthy millionaires business doctors, or conversely rugged lumberjack carpenters that can fix every piece of machinery on the planet. The bible has no list of occupations a man must follow really. It's much more simple, in any job or task we fill we should do so to the best of our abilities and to the glory of God. "Working as though we worked for Christ Himself". At the end of the day, it's about whether or not your family's needs are met. If that's performing open heart surgery on the president or flipping a burger at McD's, the end result is the same. And ultimately the number in our bank account has no real implications in perspective of eternity, so there is that.
At the end of the day a single incident can take you from "top of the world" to "bottom of the barrel". If you lose the ability to work, or a poor decision leaves you unemployed, and every day there are people losing their jobs to technological advancements, you might not make your next car payment, and your fridge might look empty real quick. Does that mean you're less of a man?
I've been in that position, and it isn't fun. The identity crisis alone can drive a man mad. None of these things truly determine what a man is worth.
So....
How do we measure the worth of a man?
A man is a leader, and overseer of his family, and circles of influence (friends, coworkers, etc.). In 1 Timothy 3 we're given a picture of the qualities of an overseer, a leader, in other words what a man should be. Funny enough, none of them can be bought. A man should be:
- Above reproach
- faithful to one wife
- sober minded and self controlled
- able to teach
- generous and not greedy
- hospitable
- respectable
- gentle and peaceful.
What really makes a man, is his character; how we handle ourselves, both in private and public; nothing material, but simply how we live. Are we living the best life we can?
Lord, refresh my identity as a man. I often get caught up in what the world says a man is; yet your word lays out the truth of what a man is. A man is not his material wealth, but his character and his love. Help me walk in my true identity as a man of God, a leader to my family, and helper to those around me.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
1 THESSELONIANS 4:11
1 CORINTHIANS 4:7
1 JOHN 2:15-17
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