And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us; for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few" (I Samuel 14:6). Read the whole story of this "wild man" who was also gentle.
A Christmas present from my son-in-law, Kirk, was a book called, Why Men Hate Going to Church, by David Murrow. It was an enjoyable read and I think it made some important points about masculinity. One of them was this, Christianity was never intended as an antidote to masculinity. As is the case with both males and females, Christianity was never intended to cancel out either masculinity or femininity. I believe there will be genders in heaven! Certainly, Christianity was not intended to make us into a neutral gender. Boys naturally tend to be more rough and tumble, willing to take chances than girls. It seems as if, not only in the church, but in our educational systems, we are more focused on neutering boys than civilizing them. The difference between neutering and civilizing is teaching boys to become men of faith who reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously rather than just to become compliant.
Murrow also asked the question, What if Christ turns him into wild man instead of a gentle man? True faith changes our lives. One encounters true masculinity or femininity by faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is the first step to the true you! So, come on guys, pick up the sword, we have a battle to fight!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
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