I used to grumble and complain about my father. He was hard, tough and didn't put up with much foolishness. If you talked back, disobeyed, or crossed him, he didn't put you in the quiet chair, give you time out, or stop to listen to the exigent circumstances - he simply knocked you into next week. If the boys in our home (and there were 5 of us) had a dispute, we were sent downstairs to settle it on the wrestling mats, or with some boxing gloves. Being the youngest I found that profoundly unfair.
But now, as I look around at a world that doesn't know what genuine manhood is about, I'm grateful. Seeing men talking about their feminine side, or courts sending men to sensitivity and anger management counseling for defending their families, or standing up for what they believe in - I'm thankful I was raised "old school."
I am glad my father taught me to handle a gun before I was 10. I appreciate my brothers who pushed me out the door and threatened bodily harm if I didn't stand up to bullies and jerks. A young man needs to learn to be able to take a punch and get back on his feet, better yet he needs to learn how to throw a punch that his opponent won't soon forget.
I like to hunt, I eat meat, I wear animal skins (love my leather biker jacket) and I believe cholesteral is what makes food taste great. I believe God placed the mantel of leadership on men and He must be awfully irritated that so many have abdicated their responsibility.
I won't apologize for enjoying ESPN, going to Ultimate Fight Competitions, or watching old John Wayne movies. I think football should be played without pads (like Rugby), and that motorcycles are better therapy than yoga, or walks in the park with a toy poodle.
Somehow our culture has come to the conclusion that leadership, courage, power, might and strength are the antithesis of love, compassion and tenderness, but nothing is further from the truth. The man who loves his wife and family is the man who will fight for them, defend them, stand up for them and have the courage to be the leader God designed him to be.
1 comment:
Here is my response to a post that indicated God or Christ "wouldn't settle things with boxing gloves."
I am not throwing any punches, at least not at the moment, but I have to take issue with your conclusions. Jesus did not put on boxing gloves, he simply fashioned a scourge (whip) and physically drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:15). He must have been a pretty imposing character to do that single handedly.
As for God, I think even the most cursory view of the Old Testament indicates that God will take physical action against his children (references far too numerous to list). Also consider Ananias and Sapphira - they would have been happy to only be knocked into next week. There are also the Proverbs that encourage us NOT to spare the rod (Prov. 22:15; 13:24; 23:14).
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Heb. 12:7-11)
As for "manly" things to do. I don't think my list is exhaustive or exclusive, but representational of the purpose we were created male. To lead, to protect and at times to fight and defend. Generationallly, we have diminished those qualities and society continues to try to soften us into submission.
There are many things that are not exclusive to men or women, both can enjoy them, but we continue to blur the lines more and more. We are losing strong leaders in the churches because we are not raising boys to be men.
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