Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the livestock, all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” From the very beginning, man has been given an enormous responsibility. The Bible has many references to a man taking care of his family, taking care of his community, and being a responsible citizen. Men are supposed to work and provide for their families. Taking care of family is stated in First Timothy 5:8: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Then we are reminded in Second Thessalonians 3:10 of our responsibility to be productive, stating, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” The expectations for men used to be pretty easy to understand and know what was expected. Do you ever wonder what happened, where it all got off track, and how we got to be less than God desired to be accepted?
Remember when being a Man meant being strong, honest, in control, and taking care of business? It was a lot easier to determine right from wrong and to maintain the respect and status of being a man. Every male child aspired to be a real man when they grew up. Taking care of your family was front and center; standing up for what was suitable and deserving and earning respect from one’s peers were on everyone’s mind.
“When asked in an open-ended format to name the traits or characteristics that society values most in men, honesty and morality tops the list, with 33% saying this. About a quarter (23%) say society values professional and financial success most in men, including 14% mentioning money or being rich, 6% referencing jobs or careers, and 6% citing being a breadwinner. And roughly one in five adults point to ambition, leadership or assertiveness (19%), strength or toughness (19%), and a good work ethic (18%) as qualities society values most in men.” (etal, 2017)
We all want to be men who care for our families, do good deeds for our friends and community, and serve God as described in scripture. As hard as we try, we all seem to come up short of our expectations of what we should be able to achieve. It is good that we desire to please God and do well in our surroundings, but the question remains about our success. It seems that everyday society and current culture change the rules and the expectations of what it is to be a man. First Corinthians 13:11 reads, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Paul is trying to remind us that we cannot stay children forever and will have to mature and become adults. Being an adult should be easy, but many have difficulty transitioning. In First Corinthians 16:13, Paul says, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Paul wanted the men of Corinth to act like men by having courage, strength, and confidence. This advice and encouragement are needed as much today as in Paul’s time.
The Feminist Movement, LGBTQ, and other liberal left-wing organizations have declared war on the American male. Now, we have phrases like “toxic masculinity” and “masculine overload.” When did being a masculine male become something to be ashamed of, and why did this happen? Recently, men have been accused of being toxic with their masculinity. This poisonous masculinity was blamed for violence and sexism. The nonsense and power of the liberal left have caused advertisers to alter their ad campaigns. Gillette created an advertisement against bullying and sexual harassment. They felt it necessary to advertise the obvious because they were shamed for an action they were not guilty of. “Around the same time, the American Psychological Association introduced new guidelines for therapists working with boys and men, warning that extreme forms of certain ‘traditional’ masculine traits are linked to aggression, misogyny, and negative health outcomes.” (Salter, 2019)
It is a sad day when the APA agrees with the far left that being a man could be somehow a negative influence. But that seems to be where we are and what men are up against. It appears that being a man is under attack. Somehow, the progressive left thinks doing away with masculine men will help gender equality. Many media sources have joined in by blaming everything from climate change to murder rates to election outcomes on the poor, toxic male. The Bible is very plain about what is expected from men and what is expected from females. Any change or variance is a dangerous adventure. Blaming bad behavior on a particular sex is stretching the truth and will make for a weak argument. Those who have left the truth behind seem to be against the natural roles that men and women should portray. We are warned in Second Timothy 3:1-5 to stay away from those people. Paul explains that people will be lovers of themselves, craving money, egoistical, obscene, disobedient, out of control, and lovers of pleasure rather than God. Paul’s second letter to Timothy describes the last days and a time of difficulty. The lovers of self, lovers of money, the proud, and the arrogant will try to appear godly. But they should be avoided.
We are also warned that there will be those trying to confuse the truth and go against the scriptures. Second Timothy 3:13 states, “While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” We should be aware of such folks and be on guard against them.
et al., K. P. (2017, 12 5). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from Americans see different expectations for men and women: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/12/05/americans-see-different-expectations-for-men-and-women/
Salter, M. (2019, 2 27). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Problem with a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/