Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
I’m currently finishing a book on Christ-Centered Masculinity. For months I’ve struggled with defining and clarifying differences between masculinity and femininity … especially from a Christian perspective.
For example, many writers on the topic will focus on Christian men being brave or courageous. But aren’t Christian women also called to be brave and strong? My wife and I were blessed with five children and now four grandchildren. I can assure you my wife, who serves as a neo-natal nurse practitioner, is brave and strong. She works with difficult pregnancies, emergency deliveries, and premature babies who are fighting for their life.
Other writers on the subject urge men to reject passivity. It’s difficult to conceive, however, how this is a uniquely masculine trait. Should Christian men reject passivity while Christian women accept passivity? I don’t see this trait explicitly spelled out in Scripture, especially when both Christian men and women are urged to “fight the good fight of faith.”[1] And Christian men are admonished to, “follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” It’s hard to separate patience and meekness in gendered ways.
There are, of course, obvious gendered and sex differences the Scriptures trumpet. Humans were created in only two categories: male and female and this was pronounced as “good.”[2] Males are always husbands and females are always wives. Males are always fathers and females are always mothers. Males are always sons and females are always daughters. Today, these distinctions have been thrown out the window as old and patriarchal remnants. But for Christ followers they are very much the holy standard.
So, to sum up, if you are a male and are attempting to closely follow Christ perhaps your emphasis should not be comparing yourself to the women in your world. What if you and I took a new tact and began to think of two opposing structures that threaten Christ-Centered Masculinity.
The first healthy way to think accurately about Christ-Centered Masculinity is to reject the world’s view of masculinity. For most, the popular view of the healthy male is the man who is wealthy, physically strong, or a sexual conqueror. These are views a city such as Hollywood promotes. Without critical analysis many young men fall into the trap of thinking as the world thinks[3] when it comes to their development and career path.
The second healthy way to think accurately about Christ-Centered Masculinity is to reject living as a boy. The apostle Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”[4] He is, of course, urging men to grow up into the fullness of Christ. But this admonition also carries lifestyle connotations as well. Dr. Al Mohler has provided an interesting list of 13 differences between Christian boys and Christian men, not exhaustive, but worth considering:
- Spiritual maturity sufficient to lead a wife and children.
- Personal maturity sufficient to be a responsible husband and father.
- Economic maturity sufficient to hold an adult job and handle money.
- Physical maturity sufficient to work and protect a family.
- Sexual maturity sufficient to marry and fulfill God’s purposes.
- Moral maturity sufficient to lead as an example of righteousness.
- Ethical maturity sufficient to make responsible decisions.
- Worldview maturity sufficient to understand what is really important.
- Relational maturity sufficient to understand and respect others.
- Social maturity sufficient to make a contribution to society.
- Verbal maturity sufficient to communicate and articulate as a man.
- Character maturity sufficient to demonstrate courage under fire.
- Biblical maturity sufficient to lead at some level in the church.[5]
So, let us each examine ourselves and ask if we are living as Christian boys or Christian men. May God give us the strength to live as the latter.
© Dr. Paul Pettit
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
[1] 1 Timothy 6:11
[2] “God created male and female, and it was good” reflects the biblical narrative in Genesis 1:27
[3] Romans 12:2
[4] 1 Corinthians 13:11
[5] https://albertmohler.com/2005/04/22/from-boy-to-man-the-marks-of-manhood-part-two/
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