Masculinity is not an easy word to define, and the debate whether masculinity has changed or should change is never-ending. But masculinity under the eye of the Bible provides us with some attributes of a man that can be used to construct the image of a masculine personality.
Bible masculinity is expressed in many verses of the Bible. They all present some aspect of masculinity that inspires and encourages men to be worthy in the eyes of God by following the prescribed path of manhood.
Here are some of the traits to learn about masculinity as stated in the Bible:
- Righteousness
A righteous person deserves to be called a man. If a man is deceitful, conspiring or envious, he does not qualify for man’s position as described by God in the Bible.
Righteous people do not succumb in front of temptations of lust, power, and money by trading their values and principles. An honest man would always keep the Bible’s principles in his heart as guidelines to make any decision.
- Care And Love
Masculinity is protecting one’s family by being strong and resilient. At the same time, the man should be soft and polite towards his wife and children. In Genesis 2:24: Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and join his wife, and they shall become one flesh; it is clear that a man is supposed to dedicate his life to the welfare of his family and ensure that no harm can ever reach them.
- Strength
While a man is typically seen as strong, the strength is not supposed to be limited to the body. A mentally and emotionally strong man can stand tall in front of any challenge.
The most extraordinary insight from Biblical verses is that a spiritually strong man accepts his weakness and submits his will to God. In his book The Courage to Be Weak: The Place of Brokenness in the Masculine Journey, Joe Storr elaborates how a man must understand that he has been given a responsibility to take care of his family and other people around him. The realization that he is frail and his only strength comes from God alone, making him a man worthy of being called masculine.
- Courage
Courage is a quintessential attribute of a man. With courage, a man can take on opponents much larger than his visible capacity. The story of David killing Goliath, a Philistine giant, by just hurling a stone is one of the fascinating anecdotes in the book of Samuel. The reason David was able to defeat Goliath was not his physical strength but the courage to stand up to a warrior much stronger and bigger than him.
Christian masculinity under the eye of the Bible is the perfect blueprint for men of all ages and eras to learn and follow to become a man truly.