Real Men, Please stand up?

So you think you’re a man?

The tone of this will be harsh, because men need to be dealt with harshly. This is something that I desire to see change the most. We need good, sharp, God-fearing men, something that is a rarity. I speak from a heart of concern, a heart of love, a heart that longs to see lives transformed and men stand up for what’s right. My prayer is that God will work on the lives of those that read this. I speak harshly because I know no other way to say this, but it is from a heart of compassion and love.

Today’s “man” is a joke. That term is used loosely by the way. It seems that more often guys are becoming bigger and bigger idiots. We have fallen down a slippery slope, and unless things change we’re in for some big problems. In Genesis 1 and 2 we see the story of creation. After six days of creation, God made His most intimate creation, man. He did not create the woman first, but the man, giving the example that men are to be LEADERS. A concept lost on most “men” today because we have sinned and are fallen (Genesis 3). To redeem manhood and to love and lead women we should keep in mind what has been said numerous times in wedding ceremonies:

“the woman was not taken from the head of the man, so that she could rule over him; nor was she taken from his foot, so that he could walk all over her, but she was taken from his side, next to his heart, so she could be loved and cared for by him.”

There are three types of guys in today’s world. Two of them are complete losers and one is truly a man. There is no assumption that this is completely dogmatic, just merely characteristics. One could be a combination of the first two, but there are dominate characteristics that will define every male as a coward, child, or cowboy.

The coward is the biggest wimp of all. He usually is a pretty nice guy, can be caring, but will not speak up, will shy away from confrontation and doesn’t know how to lead a woman in a loving God-honoring relationship. And, thus fails in his God-given responsibility. Usually he’s the one wearing the skirt, she wears the pants. This is the guy that can’t or doesn’t talk to girls. If he does become interested, he wouldn’t know how to approach a women and instead will go through a friend. Coward! At the core of this guys problems is insecurity. His insecurity surfaces in one of two ways; a complete disconnect or abusive chauvinism.

The complete disconnect pins this guy down in his room, or strictly to his guy friends. There is no social life, or if there is one its completely awkward. He knows more about computers and the current t.v. shows than women. Put in a room full of good women he’d have a mental breakdown and severe panic attack. This culmination of insecurity is really crippling and will not allow one to live a full and abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10.10). If this is you there is hope, just keep reading!

The next aspect of the coward, the complete opposite of the shut in is the abusive chauvinist. These guys are disgusting. They intimidate, scold, hit, and abuse women, because they aren’t man enough to deal with their own insecurities. In a fight a woman doesn’t stand a chance, but these men pick on them, because its the only battle they’re “man” enough to fight. Hitting and/or intimidating a woman, what a coward! These men dishonor, break down, disrespect and disregard God’s daughters, just so they can feel better about themselves. If this is you, there’s hope, and you need help, keep reading.

The next dude is the biggest loser of all. This is the child, little boy or any other synonym you would like to insert. These guys are the biggest joke and sorry excuse for what they think is a man. These little boys can be anywhere from 20 to 60+ years old and still be in the adolescent phase of life. There’s no excuse for these type of guys, and they sicken me. They are a good time, but a joke of a life. They have a belt loop notched a mile long, but don’t have any clue as to what a true man is. Their idea of a “manly man” is someone who has slept with everything that moves, who can drink the most beer, and has reached the highest level on Call of Duty. These little boys think that marriage will make them a man, but to quote a respected preacher, Mark Driscoll, “they marry to be men, but what happens is they end up ruining good women.”

These guys are complete idiots. They have a mommy complex and end up with women that will care for them, not women that want to be led by them. That’s on the girl as much as the guy, but Paul wrote this this to Timothy, “but if anyone does not provide for his relatives, especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (I Timothy 5.8). These guys are a complete joke, a complete disgrace and a waste of time for any girl. If you’re this guy, its time to put on your big boy pants and grow up, there’s still hope. Keep reading.

Lastly we come to the actual men, the cowboys. When you think of a cowboy you think of a John Wayne type man. I’m not talking bad boy, black hatted cowboy, I’m talking about the good guy, the white hat, knight in shinning armor cowboy. These guys don’t waste their time with “little boy things”, they are men. They don’t live with their parents, they have a job, a bible, and know how to treat a woman. It is all about respect with these guys. Nothing is about them, they live to serve, live to love, and live like Jesus. When it comes time to fight for what’s right, they man the front line, without backing down. When a girl he cares about needs him, he’s there for her, not with his friends, she matters because he loves her and is not afraid of that. His shoulder is there if she needs it, his hands are there to protect, and his goal is her purity. He doesn’t need to sleep with her, he doesn’t need to disrespect her, he loves her cares for her, and worries about her best interest over his selfish gratification.

This is a real man. He provides, protects, and purposes in his heart to maintain her purity. This guy takes the reins and leads a loving God-honoring relationship, drawing her and him closer to Christ. This is the type of guy you want you sons to grow up like, and daughters to marry. We need more men like this.

So where do we go from here? You are one of these three guys. The first two, cannot live fulfilled. They are empty shells of a life. Sure the child seems to have a good time, but what do you have to show for a good time? Nothing. The goal is to leave a good legacy, not just have a good time, and neither of the first two can do that. Only real men strive to impact generations to come, not just have a good time for what feels good now. True men cannot live for themselves, there’s no selfishness, but this is how the child and coward live, completely selfish, its all about them.

So is all hope lost if you’re a coward or child? NO!! The hope always has been and always will be Jesus. Jesus died to forgive you of those sins, and allow you to live a life after his example, as a real man! You’re actions as a coward or child are sinful, and Jesus humbly gave up his life to forgive you of that sin. What it takes is for you to man up, repent, and live for Jesus. Live to love, live to serve, live to protect, live for a legacy. Because this life is meaningless if its all about you. When you have Jesus there’s something to live for. It’s time little boys and cowards stepped up to the plate of manhood, and swing for the fences.