Biblical Masculinity

Men are under attack in today’s culture. Biblical masculinity is being pushed to the wayside and discarded under guise of “toxic masculinity”. In a time where “gender is a social construct” and men are being attacked for their God given attributes and abilities, what should Christian men do and what must we believe? I am going to explore what biblical masculinity is and what I believe God is calling men to be.

I believe God made man in his image, and he instructs us to live as Christ. Through scripture and the life of Jesus you can gather what God has in mind for a man. A man who God has called and plans to cultivate. I believe God is calling men to be leaders. Throughout all scripture you see men being bold in their faith, strong in actions, and yet humble at heart. David did not let the doubts and disadvantages brought against him stop him from being bold enough to take on the mighty warrior Goliath. Paul was determined to lead the church in truth even though it meant constant persecution from people who hated him. Moses was called to be the leader of a people who were being ruled by the most powerful empire on earth, but he still went boldly before Pharaoh. Joshua was called by God to lead Israel through the conquests of claiming the promise land. King Hezekiah led Israel from sinful practices and resisted the evil of the Assyrian armies. Throughout Scripture we see examples of strong, bold, fearless men, who lead their lives, or entire countries with wisdom and truth. God has created man to be this way. “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war...” Proverbs 25:5-6. There is a reason that popular movies often star a strong male leader. Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, Luke in Star Wars, Bruce Wayne as Batman, Captain America from Marvel. All of these men were leaders who were willing to sacrifice themselves for what they knew was right. These characters appeal to audiences because men want to be like that, and women seek that kind of man. Masculinity goes far beyond a gender assigned at birth, it goes far beyond different physical and mental biology, it’s about what men were designed by God to do and how we are supposed to live.

But leadership is not the only thing God calls men to. If men just lead in whatever they wanted to do, only had the qualities of toughness and testosterone, they would be horrible pictures of Christ-like men. In addition to leadership, God calls men to be loving. “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph 5:25). God calls men to live out the example that Christ set when he lived on earth and interacted with his people and the church, and it is clear that Christ lived his entire life loving others. The best leaders are those who love and value those they are leading. Men need to be the prime example of this is the workplace, social issues, church, and most importantly family.

The Blunt (Brace yourself)

Passivity among men must stop. We must be loving leaders.