In this culture, men are often put down and made fun of. Fathers are seen as foolish and young men are self-centered playboys in sit-coms. Women’s Liberation propaganda tries hard to feminize men. As a result, some men have succumbed to the pressure and lost their masculinity whereas others, determined to be a man, become hardened thrill-seekers. I would like to share the qualities that I believe God created in man in order to hopefully set the record straight.
Strength – biologically we know that male hormones build strong muscles and thicker bone structures. God gave man strength so that he could fight the daily battles of work, family unity, and issues of life in general in order to provide for and protect the family, the community, and the very existence of mankind. Though there are strong muscular women, even bodybuilders, they can never match the strength of a man who is a bodybuilder. That’s why women and children ask a man to open a tightly lidded jar or a stuck drawer or lift heavy items. We instinctively believe we are vulnerable and need the strength of a man.
Stability – There are many books that teach the differences between how men’s and women’s brains function. They liken men’s brains to boxes or waffles with separate compartments and women’s brains to spaghetti or the internet highway with synapse information pinging all over the place. Women get frustrated with a man who is in his go-to-work box and therefore steps over the full garbage bag at the door instead of picking it up and putting it outside in the proper can. He isn’t lazy he’s just very focused and didn’t actually see the garbage bag though he stepped over it.
This quality is similar to what we call staples in a kitchen such as flour, eggs, baking soda, and butter. These are simple and the way men think is simple and not complex but the staples in a chef’s kitchen are used in every meal he makes no matter how high level it is so, though they may seem simple, they are really the foundation of everything.
It is this quality that helps men un-knot very knotted problems that we bring them. We think they are being too simplistic in their solutions but instead, they are showing us how to work on one small area at a time to release the knot.
Courage – I often tease that boys are born believing they are IMMORTAL, INVINCIBLE, and ALL-WISE. It is this belief that causes America’s Funniest Home Videos to show more guys than gals doing silly things. And as long as they live through it, it’s funny in their minds. It is this belief that gives men the courage to start a new business or move clear across the world or face a tough situation at work day after day. This courage results in a second quality called ENDURANCE. In this culture, many men have learned to run from hard things but those who stay and endure are the ones who eventually win in life. And men can be really good at this. These qualities of courage and endurance are what the movers and shakers of this world use. It is also what truly makes a man of faith.
Kindness- Yes, men are given a special ability to be kind. This is what makes them lend their equipment or keep a needy worker on the payroll or take the time to mow a widow lady’s yard. In the medical field, we have a joke among ourselves that when a man is cranky, he’s sick. But when he starts getting nice again he’s definitely healing.
It is this quality of kindness that makes what a man says so powerful. Women can talk to their kids all day but it is Dad’s few words to them that really stick. Men and women will live a lifetime seeking their father’s approval and feel a horrible loss if he dies without giving it. A man’s approval affects destinies so strongly he should think of it as an atomic bomb or a tsunami in relationship to its power to shape a life. Your sons and daughters, your wife, and employees literally live on your words. Use your great gift of kindness to give them the life they so desperately need.
I Corinthians 16:13 sums it all up when it gives the command “Act like MEN”