Disclaimer: I do have pastor Dennis’ permission to share actlikeaman.org’s search data for this post.
The Search for Manhood
Lots and lots of people are searching for the keyphrase “How to Act Like a Man”. In fact, I’ll be showing you screenshots straight from the Analytical search data of actlikeaman.org. Here’s the first of it:
While it is a good thing that they are actually searching for answers on “how to act like a man”, it’s also a sad reality that a lot of men today need Google to teach them about manhood.
So What Makes a Man?
First off, I believe a man is someone who serves a higher cause. Something greater than himself. A calling. A mission. A purpose.
A man who has none of these is but a wanderer in life. And anyone who he brings with him will have no direction so long as he is leading the way. And mind you, as men, we are wired to lead.
And what greater purpose is there than living for the greatest being? God Himself? There is a mission:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” – Matthew 28:19
There is a calling and a purpose:
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” – 1 Peter 2:21
A man is someone who knows how to treat his girl and other women with love and respect. That is a trait that is rapidly diminishing these days. With internet, it’s so easy to hide behind the keyboard and screen and chat your way through a lady. It’s so easy to look at women as to how you usually look at them watching pornography. And yet men today are asking “how do you act like a man in a relationship?”
The answers to this questions can be trimmed down. And I’ve found other search queries related to this. Let’s go through the other questions about manhood and relationships, shall we?
Here’s an interesting trend with young people today. “He says we’re just friends but doesn’t act like it”. Probably a boy trying to play with a girl’s heart for his own emotional fulfillment. It’s not only immature, it’s self-seeking. A man is someone who will tell you his intentions about you straight up. He’s not afraid to risk with you because he knows you’re worth it. He’s not going to shy away from telling you what he feels because that would be inconsiderate as to how he will act around you.
A man is someone who sticks to his word. When he tells you you’re just friends, he should mean it. Therefore, he should act like it. The sad thing is, a lot of men today use the leverage of “we’re just friends” to their own advantage in winning a girl’s heart.
Respect is earned. The reason why your wife married you is because she loved you and respected you. But respect is something that dwindles as life goes by. You will have to keep filling it up with your character. Show your wife that you fulfill your most basic roles as a man. Be a provider, leader, and encourager to your family. You are meant to take up the role of a husband. Sadly, some husbands are also asking the question:
Because probably the wife thinks that:
It’s such a sad thing that even these are being asked on Google. There is a rift that has torn open the bridge from a boy’s youth to his manhood. And it is very evident in our world and generation today. Manhood is a virtue that is fundamentally handed down by a father to his son. Somewhere along the way, something went very wrong.
Our generation is a generation of boys. The phrase “30 is the new 20” has never been more true. Men today are nowhere in a hurry to get married because of the pleasures and enjoyments of technology, pornography, cheap sex and hook-ups, drugs, alcohol, bars, parties, and so on and so forth. Maturity and manhood is a virtue lost.
And now men are struggling to find their way back to what it really means to be a man.
If you’re one of those guys, don’t ask Google. Ask God. Go to His Word and know your purpose, your mission, and your calling. That is where all of these things starts.
Then ask a man. A real man. To help you get up on your feet.
It’s never too late to man up. But the sooner you do, the sooner you’ll see how being a man is worth the effort.