There seems to be a lack of masculinity present in our men today and Christ-follower are no exception. The degenderification of humanity toward an ambiguous middle leaves us devoid of men who embrace their calling to bear the strength and glory the were designed to represent: the divine image of God in Christ.
Often, we'll witness the "man's man"-- the Type 'A', outspoken, handshake-like-a-vise-man-- as the epitome of what it means to be a masculine man. This is not inherently bad or wrong but alienates anyone not like that. The opposite is true as well. We'll also observe the "hipster man"-- the artist, introspective, uber-deep-and-contemplative-man-- held up as the main archetype of manhood in our society today. And I've already alienated anyone not like either of those two... of which I am one!
So what's to be done? Our culture needs masculine men to raise up and step into their God-given calling but who will lead them? What does a masculine man even look like? How does HE show up?
I stumbled upon this insight and had to repost it here...
2) Unsheathe your sword. As a man, you wield a sword of truth that can cut through cultural distractions to what really matters. The faster car, the better sports team, the bigger salary are all fine and dandy but on your deathbed, what unfulfilled vision will you regret the most? What risk did you back away from? What chance did you refuse to take? Before you die, be bold enough to discover and live your truth.
3) Dare to dream. Before you played the role of mortal, you (well, we) created the heavens and earth. What do you wish to create here and now? What beautiful order do you wish to bring forth from the chaos of this world. What implausible dream do you want to manifest for the greater good of all? It doesn’t have to be grand, like solving world hunger. It can be simple, like solving your child’s homework problem because you are dedicated to being a great father. All we care about is that something brings you alive with passion.
4) Steer the ship. Aim your life for a noble horizon. It’s not like there’s a second in command who will captain your destiny while you snooze on the sofa after too many beers and potato chips with the TV droning in the background. Get to the helm of your life and navigate by your own pole star, the true north of your heart’s burning desire. Tip: if you don’t know what port you’re headed for, no wind is favorable.
5) Bring your soul to work. Work for more than the mortgage and car payments—work because you find some measure of joy in your job. And if the job is just to make ends meet for now, then meet that employment with gratitude and a call to service. Know that it’s not what you do, but what you bring to what you do, that matters.
6) Care deeply. As a man, you might have been taught to feel lightly and think hard, to hold your emotions back, as if you can build a dam against what naturally must flow. But your caring is what this world cries for. The tender-hearted masculine is both wise and merciful. When you weep, you give women permission to be strong. When your heart breaks we want to know it so that we can heal it together.
7) Love fearlessly. Show us the way by standing firm when we are in a beautiful rage. Don’t run from our fury—after all it might contain magical wisdom. In the gale force of feminine anger, your calm is a powerful reminder that we are met and accepted by our beloved partner.
8) Ravish your woman. Every now and then, take her wholeheartedly, without apology. Press her against a wall and bind her with your kisses. Possess your goddess, oh great god that you are, and then let her possess you. Polarity is a potent nectar and the current runs both ways.
9) Slay your demons. We all have them, the dark part of our hearts, the crevices where our fear and loathing hideout. Notice what keeps you awake at night and stalk it. Hunt your darkness and drag it into the light for loving and healing.
10) Leave your mark. Don’t settle for a fleeting cameo in which your appearance in this kingdom is so quickly forgotten. What do you want your children to say about you? Your great-grandchildren? The greatest legacy is not the wealth you leave behind, but your heartfelt message that echoes forward to future generations.
You can read the rest of the article at The Good Men Project: http://bit.ly/QTcTW4.
For my regular readers, your discernment has served you well that this is not from a Christian worldview. But hear me in this, there is much wisdom found in this and a lot of gold that we can mine from this insight... so please don't dismiss it! If we are to recover the masculine soul, we need all the learning we can muster and this can only be done with open minds and discerning hearts.
Think about it... what if men who loved Jesus lived up to half of this? What would our marriages be like? How would our children respond to their dads? What would our neighborhoods look like? How would men show up at work, at play?
I dare say that this world would be a much different place if THIS was what a masculine man became because we really need men like this-- in our schools, in our marketplaces, in our homes. We need men who are unashamedly living into the strength and glory that they were designed to bear.
Special thanks to Lisa Hickey for allowing me to repost this article from The Good Men Project and thank you Lori Ann Lothian for writing it!
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composed by
dave
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