Are you a "man's man."

I have a challenge for all the guys out there.

Don't be a "man's man."

I think the pressure placed on the males in our culture to be "manly" is largely responsible for a great many of our social problems. I think the issue stems from a thorough lack of understanding on our part of what God wants a man to be.

I think we need to set our sights much higher. Instead of trying to be "manly" we should try to be godly. Jesus set the bar. Way up there. He wasn't a "man's man." He was God as a man. He was God's man. That should be our target, too.

God did not intend for us to be a bunch of beer-swilling, tobacco-chewing, foul-mouthed, oversexed, brawling Neanderthals. (My apologies to the GEICO cavemen)

Where I live, this last statement is akin to heresy. Too many men seem to think that this sort of behavior is exactly what makes a man a man. Worse, they are breeding little versions of themselves, passing a perversion of God's vision for us to future generations. Whether they realize it or not.

We are made in the image of God.

God is not a redneck.

I can't understand how some men can use the Lord's name in vain over and over again. It's almost as if they cannot utter a single sentence without saying something blasphemous. It's offensive and absolutely unnecessary. Sadly, most people have become so desensitized to it that it's a non-event in so many conversations. Why do people need to say "God" or "Christ" as if cursing? It bothers me even to hear somebody say "Oh my God." in response to the most trivial of events. Is any of this manly? It sure isn't godly.

Many people seem to think that a "man's man" is also supposed to be some sort of sexual conquistador, too. I think there's an overwhelming amount of biblical evidence (and an even more overwhelming amount of real-world evidence, too, for that matter) that a lack of restraint in this area is a surefire recipe for disaster. When a man sees a woman, he should look at her as Christ would look at her, with respect and genuine love, not lust. A "man's man" is lustful and objectifies women. God's man sees a beloved sister in Christ. A person of worth, fearfully and wonderfully made. The next time you look at a woman the wrong way, ask yourself if you would like some other man ogling your wife or daughter that way.

I think that most men make the excuse that they can't help it. That's just how guys are. They contend that every "real" man has an uncontrollable sex drive. Worse, they try to weasel out of the responsibility for it by saying that's how God made them.

Not so.

God gave us the sex drive, but we're the ones who have made it uncontrollable. It's a monster that grows when you feed it. Stop feeding it. I highly recommend the book Every Man's Battle by Fred Stoeker and Stephen Arterburn. Read this book. Internalize the message. You can starve the monster.

I challenge you to take down those posters in the garage. Burn your magazine and/or video collection, quit drinking, watch your mouth, stop smoking and chewing. If you do, you'll be better than a "man's man." You'll be a few steps closer to being God's man.