A Blueprint for Manhood That Does Not Involve Lego Movies

My wife and I watched a bit of a show last night that profiled men who make Lego movies. Yes, you read it right. A Lego movie. It took one man five hours to “shoot” five or six seconds of “film.” The “filmmaker” was disarmingly cheerful and honest, confessing to being a nerd and having started his “career” when in high school and friendless. Though I liked him, I couldn’t help thinking a central thought: what a waste of masculine energy this is. An additional thought corresponds: there but for the grace of God go I. Even now, being saved and taught, I’m a work in progress, and I myself am striving to live what I say in this post.

God has equipped and called men to be aggressive providers and lords of the earth. He has called us to take dominion both in a physical sense (Gen 1:26-28) and in a spiritual sense (Matthew 28:18-20). Such instincts thrive and are best used when a man accepts his role in life and not only accepts responsibility in a variety of spheres but welcomes it. The man, gifted and commanded by God to be the leader of his family and the provider for his family, becomes in reality what in essence he is by pursuing responsible outlets for his instinct to lead. He seeks a wife, and thus becomes a unit depicting Christ and the church, a role of incredible significance. He and his wife seek children, and thus the man becomes the first representation of God to his offspring and the lord and pastor of his home. He wisely evaluates himself, and then sets out to find work that maximizes the strengths and predilections given him by God for the purpose of work. He makes himself a cornerstone of a church, serving in it, speaking well of it, taking on responsibility in it. In these ways and others, a man becomes in reality what he is essence.

Few men today have such an understanding of manhood, and fewer still have a plan–or have fathers who have a plan–by which this essence will be actualized. In coming days, we will think through a brief plan by which fathers can train their sons to be godly leaders and lords of the earth. For now, by way of introduction, it is enough to note that men who could be fulfilling the above outline for manhood are doing things like those spoken of in the introduction. The poor deployment of manly resources and abilities in the current day is staggering. If you don’t believe me, test my hypothesis. When you interact with culture, look to see what men are doing. Are they inhabiting responsible roles and living productive lives? Or are they making Lego movies? And spending countless hours constructing the best fantasy football team? Or composing songs in vain hopes of a record deal? Or playing video games until their eyes bleed? You answer the question–what are men doing?

There is nothing wrong with relaxation and recreation. I don’t condemn the above activities and participate in some of them myself. But there is a definite problem when men turn diversions into pastimes. It’s one thing to spend a few hours in a week on your hobby, it’s another thing to spend night after night on it, neglecting your wife, family, and church. This is happening en masse in the culture, as men take their God-given ambition, aggressiveness, and ability and spend it on diversions that have little lasting effect and lead them away from maturity into immaturity. About the only thing men take seriously these days are unserious things–sports, games, and entertainment. In coming days, we’ll look at a plan–a very humble plan, but an attempt at one–that can lead men away from a wasted life and toward a realization of their natural potential.