Authentic Manhood

In Men’s ministry these are the buzz words of all buzzwords. Authentic Manhood; it sounds impressive and yet simple. Yet it no doubt has a certain mystique or mystery to it. Men wonder what it really means and how they can get to the top of this magnificent summit. Then they believe, they will have concurred life and everything that stands in the way of their feeling like a man.

Is it really possible that there is a Christian version of the Dos Equis guy hiding within all of us? Say it with me now; “Stay thirsty my friends.” I doubt it; at least I don’t see how that works. Funny thing is that even the Dos Equis guy is poser. We all know he is just a rip off Spanish version of Sean Connery anyway. Besides we’ve seen Sean Connery do much cooler stuff. So needless to say, I am not buying it.

Let’s take a look at the famous buzz words for a bit. Authentic means real or genuine. Manhood is the state of being a man. Why not just call it what it is then; being a real man. 

I’m a real man. That’s right, I said it. That’s the statement we are all trying to make. If we are going to discuss authentic manhood let’s just keep it simple. What does it mean to be a real man? Let’s be real with it instead of trying to fancy it up with some sort of mystique. We don’t need to be like the Dos Equis guy and hide it behind some sort of ripped off identity.

What does it mean to be a real man? This is me asking you the question and challenging you to figure it out for yourself. I am going to give you my answer. Feel free to use it if you like, but please make it unique to you in your own way. My answer is found all over the ministry I lead. You really don’t need to look any further than our logo and its all there. A real man follows Jesus and leads his world. Please allow me to work my way though that definition with you all.

It takes a man who’s got a pair to actually follow Jesus, especially in our world today. Let’s get one thing straight, right here and right now. I said follow Jesus, not believe in Jesus. The rich young ruler believed in Jesus, but he didn’t have the “boys” to go and sell off all his stuff and follow Him. So did countless other people, including Judas and some of the Pharisees. Plenty of men believe in Jesus and few men follow Him. If you are going to ask yourself the question of I am a real man, you ought to start here. Do I believe in Jesus or do I follow Him? There is a real difference between the two.

Now to the second part of the definition; the word leads. If you don’t think Jesus is calling you to become a leader then you probably aren’t following Him. In fact I can guarantee you are ignoring the last words He spoke to all of His followers. “Go into the world and make disciples…” If you’ve got a way to make disciples and not be a leader I would love to hear about it. So then, how does one lead? If you focus on Jesus and follow Him, leadership is an automatic outcome. Surely it can’t be that simple? John Maxwell defined leadership as influence. So if you follow Jesus then you influence people, you teach them and encourage them to follow Jesus with you. Yes, for heaven’s sake (literally) you live by example. Leadership is as simple as following Jesus.

The last part of the definition is his world. I can’t tell you what your world is, that’s between you and God. I am willing to suggest that it ought to start close to home though. Let me just say this; a real man cares about his family and is willing to bust his tail to get his family life right. That may mean your wife and kids, or it may mean your parents or neighbors. For some of us our family is our friends. Your world is your mission field, it’s your responsibility and it’s as big as you’ve got the guts to make it.

Sure, I could have come up with something a little easier and something that sounds like a lot more fun. I know it may not be the most attractive definition of what it means to be a real man, but there you have it. A real man follows Jesus and leads his world. It’s really the only way I know how to put it. There is no promise of conquest or success, no monetary measuring stick and it doesn’t come with a fake persona to hide behind. In fact the persona most important in it isn’t yours. It’s that of Jesus. Am I suggesting that being a real man isn’t about you? Yes, I am. That is exactly the point. You my friend are flawed and so am I. Being a real man isn’t about me or you, it’s all about following Jesus.

Stay thirsty for that my friends.

Ryan Reeves

Founder and Director

ryanreeves@menofjesus.org