Biblical masculinity.

Masculinity is a learned behavior; we “act” it out in ways we are taught or exposed to whether it be via media or family, etc. Some people, like myself, try to find answers via the Bible. I began wondering how having a worldly understanding of concepts such as masculinity may or may not match up to what is explained in the Bible.

Without much thought, I would have said being a man according to the bible is about being able to provide for one’s family, heterosexuality, and positivity towards helping those in need. However, after reading this article, I realize the “masculinity” is deeper than that.

First and foremost, masculinity is based on values so much deeper than just one’s anatomy. The point is made that “God is the ultimate example of true masculinity yet the Bible tells us He has no physical body.” It is something often forgotten or at least easily overlooked. Biology determines our sex, but gender is one’s own concept of themselves. Therefore, masculinity and femininity are not constrained to the bonds of sex; the scale is so much more than just black and white.

Now to continue. The working definition of masculinity provided in the article is from the book Father Hunger by Douglas Wilson: “True masculinity is the humble, glad assumption of God given responsibility.” In other words, being a humble and willing servant of God’s will is the true measure of one’s masculinity.

Though masculinity is “not just tied to anatomy,” we must still take into account that males and females are still different. We are equal in the eyes of God in that we were all created in His image, but we are biologically different. Taken straight the article: “We have different desires, different ways of communicating, and different ways of dealing with issues. You can see this in kids. They do not have to be taught these tendencies, they just are.” One-way male is biologically different from females is that by nature, men are cultivators: “God has wired us to take care of things, make them grow and be productive. This is inherent.”

However, when the natural desire to cultivate becomes too consumed with the ways and measures of the worldly things, then mans (humans) focus is not on cultivating to please the will of God but on to please his fellow human. Money, cars, women become of the measurements of masculinity instead of what the Bible says. Also, the “fear of being mislabeled or attacked” is another obstacle one must face when making the decision to be masculine in the eyes of the world versus the eyes of God.

*the article provides Bible verses to back up some claims

http://biblicalmen.com/what-is-biblical-masculinity/