The last couple of generations of American males have been taught that fighting is bad. My son got suspended from school in fourth grade for fighting back against a fifth grader who cornered him in a bathroom. The assistant principal actually told him that, instead of defending himself, he should have gone and gotten a teacher…while he was in a corner being manhandled by an older boy? I’ve always permitted my son to finish a fight if there is no other alternative. He finished this one, and his school told him that he was a bad boy for doing so. To counteract what the school system was teaching my boy at this moment, Amy and I took him out to eat pizza that night to celebrate him. We wanted Landon to be assured that sometimes we simply must fight.
Men, we have been feminized in the last forty years while American women have been masculinized. In these four decades, the scales haven’t been balanced between the genders, they have been broken. We see it in our government’s former responses to Islamic terrorism – patiently talk, but don’t destroy them. We have often brought teleprompters to a knife-fight. We see it again in the lying down of those of us who have given up our voices in the public forum as followers of Jesus. Somewhere along the line, our culture pushed an illegal mute button on Christians, and we are operating like mimes in the park while everyone else is blaring their messages on megaphones. Political Correctness is an impotent tyrant, but he has swiftly established his rule over nearly every sector of American life in less than two decades. For those who refuse to bow to his hollow scepter, there is a backlash of verbal grenades from the milquetoast mainstream to realign them back with the indecisive masses. Nowadays, when anyone – male or female – boldly speaks up or stands out for what they hold to be true, they are devalued and silenced. They tell us that we are haters and phobics. In my father’s generation, these types of principled, outspoken people were greatly esteemed.
America don’t much appreciate a good fight these days.
Over the last seven months, as I have been reintroduced to the concept of living my life as a human being instead of a human-doing, much of my thinking has been on biblical manhood: I am a son, husband, father, servant, soldier. I am a man and do not mind saying that I am thrilled to be one. I would make a really obnoxious (and ugly) woman. So, part of me being a man is that I must recognize that there are times when the best and only option is to swing hard and fight. Brothers, not all fighting is bad. We all have an instinct to fight a foe. If you do not sense this in your own life, it is because someone stole it from you, or you are engaged in some lesser substitute which drains those fighting resources from you. Landon is about to be fourteen years old, and he said to me the other day, “Dad, I am glad I am a boy. I couldn’t stand to be a girl.” Ladies, do not be offended at the declaration of my bold, young son – this is exactly how he should feel! He is celebrating who and how God has made him. My prayer is that he grows in his value of women as he continues to grow older, but he does not have to jettison his appreciation of being a man in order for that to happen.
Women do not lose a thing when men live a fully masculinized life as defined by God.
Guys, we were made to fight the bulls.
God ordained us to be Davids because Hell has sent forth scores of Goliaths.
On his own, Gideon hid from the enemy in a winepress. When the calling of God came, Gideon toppled his father’s altars, raised up an army, defied the odds, harnessed meager resources and defeated a ridiculously large enemy army. Consequently, we talk about Gideon still today. We need Davids. We need Gideons. We need men who will not apologize for being men. I want to remain one… and I want to continue to raise one. I want to lead more men than I will be able to count to be biblically defined, Holy Spirit filled, Jesus-loving MEN. Society will not applaud this. Can you tell that I do not give rip? I want to fight something worth killing.
May God grant wisdom for us to know our foe. May He grant courage for us not to live in the passivity that our culture seeks to saddle us with. May He give us honor to fight fairly, enduringly and precisely. And may we start wanting all of that again.
Lord, pour down healthy showers of spiritual testosterone on your sons.
Yes! And yes again. Us women also need our men to partner with us in their God ordained position. I like how you celebrated your son. Great work
Thank-you for speaking against the anti male culture. I want my young men to be everything God has created them to be and to move mountains or Goliaths as needed!
Today Bro. Jeff if we don’t take the warfare to the enemy we are going to be destroyed. I to believe as you that the man should rule the house and win over our enemies by way of the Gospel. I really believe in my heart as long as the teaching of the Gospel is our warfare we will win at all costs and bring Honor to our Father at the same time. Well done my brother. God Bless.