What does it mean to be a man?

Defining Manhood, Part I


What does it mean to be a man? What words and images come to mind?

Do words like “success”, “wife”, “house” and “kids” come to mind?  Or are there grittier images like strip clubs, “pimp” and “playa”? 

Or maybe what you do from sunup to sundown is a reflection of what you believe manhood is all about?  Maybe you don’t even think about it until someone has the nerve to disrespect you or a fine woman catches your eye?

Or maybe you are hurting and don’t feel like much of a man?

Okay, a few men are already thinking with a smile “the proof is in my pants.”

Yeah, being born male is part of it.  But I think plenty of men and women will say you can be born male but be far from being a man.

I begin my very first blog with this question.  Why?  Because this has always been a central question of my life’s journey.  And probably yours too.

Next to questions like, “why is the sky blue?” and “what on earth am I here for?” 

Who or what is your blueprint for manhood?

Whether we think about it or not, we all have a “blueprint” (a detailed outline or plan) for how we design our life.

The Holy Scriptures point us to Jesus the Christ as the source for a new way of being human.  Through Christ we are in fact new creations (Romans 5:1-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

As Ed Cole boldly proclaimed, “manhood and Christ-likeness are synonymous.”

Then Christ Jesus is the answer to the question “what does it mean to be a man?”

And for the Christian man, this is what we ought to believe.  He is the blueprint.

I end my first blog with one answer to the question from Robert Lewis’ book Raising a Modern Day Knight from the chapter “Vision for Manhood."  (Although I’ll be “tweaking” the answer a bit)  Robert is also the founder of Men’s Fraternity.  The definition he gives (which I love!) is simple.  A Christian man,

Rejects passivity…

Accepts responsibility…

Leads courageously…

And expects a great reward from his Heavenly Father…

So what does it mean to be a man?

Thank you for tuning into the conversation.

And I would love to hear from you as well. 

How have you been answering these questions?  How do you presently answer this question? 

Let’s rap, think and grow together.

Minister Onorio