leave the culture out of it!

what does it take to be a man? what makes a man manly?

there are so many cultural connotations to these questions. in fact, as soon as the questions are asked you probably saw images of ripped, gruff & tough guys from some truck commercial racing through your mind. it's almost impossible to give a definition of what it means to be a man without being influenced by our culture (and particularly the media).

but who can answer these questions?

unfortunately we've settled for the definitions we've been given. stereotypes that are assumed. we're told who we are...or at least, who we should be if we want to be anybody. but even more unfortunate than that is the confusion we seem to get from those who call the shots. commercials, youtube videos, movies and tv shows are constantly sending mixed messages that can be extremely confusing and frustrating for young men trying to grow up to be real men. one minute they say men are funny, lazy slobs excused from immaturity because of raging hormones. the next minute we've got to have it all together with a successful job, power suit and gorgeous girls hanging off of each arm. and then a few minutes later they throw in men who are confident in their alternative sexual lifestyles. which is it? pick an option. or just stayed confused...

which is just symptomatic of the most unfortunate consequence of our culture's influence on our thinking: the fact that we look to our culture at all for answers and trust them to lead us in the right direction of manhood.

can our culture really answer the question of what it means to be a man?

i hope you see how relative the answer becomes if they do, because each culture will answer it differently. from a cultural standpoint being a man means something entirely different in india then it does in the united states. and you could most likely make a case for it being different in any other country or region of the world.

so what is the standard? where do we get the answers?

if we're going to learn what it truly means to be man, then we look no further than the Creator of man Himself! He alone can tell us what it truly means to be a man and what is manly.

His answers are the truth we need to become men who live on purpose...for the purpose we were created for. so when the question is asked, "what does it mean to be a man?", leave the culture out of it and turn to the Word of God.

let me leave you with a few thoughts from His Word that begin our quest in biblical anthropology:

1. man is created in the image of God. (genesis 1:26,27)
2. we were created for His glory (colossians 1:16)
3. all men are sinners that fall short of His glory (romans 3:23)
4. we are redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ (romans 3:24-26)
5. we were created to serve Him (eph. 2:10; 2 Tim.3:17)

these truths are hidden from man apart from divine revelation (1 corinthians 2:14-16; matthew 11:27). so stop looking for truth in the dumpster of the media. don't turn to the blind "experts" of psychology, sociology or science that separate our existence from an Almighty Creator.

do you wanna be a man?

then become a man of God's Word! it's your source of truth, and you can trust it!