Real Men Have Beards

Ok, maybe they don’t, lol. However, generally this is the image of a man when you think of the word, no?

Lately I’ve been listening to things that are challenging me to be a man. I’m pretty sure God’s trying to get something across. It culminated in Sunday’s sermon, and God has been drawing things to my attention ever since. By things I mean those areas in my life that need work.

I want to share the five main points my pastor used. They build on each other somewhat. You can’t have one without the other.

To be a man you need to:

1. quit acting like a child
2. start taking responsibility
3. take initiative
4. be courageous and brave
5. do everything in love

A man takes responsibility and doesn’t give excuses, he is disciplined. Quit acting like a child doesn’t mean he can’t have fun, just that he needs to be responsible in it and prioritize. A man takes initiative, he leads into action. He does not wait for someone else to do it for him or for everything to come his way. He goes out and attempts to conquer. It takes courage to take responsibility instead of trying to pass it on. Even if he’s misunderstood or misunderstood the instructions, if it’s his responsibility, he owns up to it, especially when it’s hard. Above all, he does everything in love, not for himself.

Masculinity without love=jerk. True men serve others.

I really like this quote from someone whose name I forget: “You don’t become a man by reaching a certain age, manhood is a sustained act of character.

As I was telling a friend today, it’s much easier to speak of being a man, and learn of what exactly it is than to implement it. I’ve been learning this the hard way.

As to writing, in every story, the characters must have changed in some way. I prefer they change for the better. I want to challenge you who write with male MCs (especially those adventure/find yourself styles) to keep the change from being superficial. Really, with any MC keep the change from being superficial. Change does take time, I understand that.

I believe that fiction, while entertainment, does put across ideas to readers and open up ideas to them. I want to give my readers an example of what has been lost in this culture-manhood. I know no one is perfect, and no one wants to read about anyone who is. However, I plan to have some of the lessons learned be of the kind that steer my character more towards manhood than away from it. As to my life, I shall continue doing my best to keep God first and strive to be a man.

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