Grow Up, Would You?

Being that my previous post was about not feeling like much of a man due to the lack of manly exercise that I find myself getting, I figured I should follow that with what maturity looks like.

What is a man? We hear all about what it means to actually be a man. Society tells us that to be a man is to be fierce, protective, and physical. Our masculinity is wrapped in our bodies in one form or another. This is not inherently a sexual thing, although that is often the direction that men take it. Often we look at "wimpy" guys as being less of men based solely on there physical dexterity.

Realistically, physicality is often spiritualized in the Christian realm as well. What are the traits that are desirable in a Christian husband? Being a provider. Being a leader (in a way that is usually very tangible). Being a protector. These are really quite physical.

So, while studying something quite different in the same passage, I was reading Ephesians 4. Specifically for my purposes verses 11 through 13. Those passages read a little something like this in the NASB:


¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some aspastors and teachers, ¹²  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the  knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.


Ok. So what is a mature man? I believe it is someone that attains unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Hmm...unity and knowledge? Well those don't sound very masculine. I guess that kinda rules out fighting as a means to figure out masculinity. 


You see real manhood, Christian manhood, is marked not by the ability that we have to prove others wrong, but rather by our accept others when they are wrong. This is not saying that we should accept all doctrine wholesale. When push comes to shove, if two ideas stand in conflict at least one of them has to be wrong. Here's the thing...There are A LOT of doctrines floating around Christendom. If uniting under Christ means sharing every single belief then suddenly the Kingdom that I belong to got really small. And I hope I am a part of the right Kingdom because if I have some stuff wrong, I am in trouble. Unity must extend beyond truth.


What matters more than having the exact truth is a pursuit of a knowledge of Jesus Christ. That should lead us toward truth. Jesus said that "[He is] the way, and the truth, and the life." He is the truth. Pursuing Him = Pursuing truth. Pursuing implies that we don't have it yet. None of us. Therefore, unity has to reach to those pursuing truth rather than those that "have" truth. That is a man!