Wimps, Wildmen, and Warriors (part 2)

February 18, 2010 at 7:26 pm | Posted in masculinity, men | Leave a comment
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I think men fall into one of these three categories. Each type results from both a way of thinking and behavioral choices. A man can grow out of the first two types or fall out of the third type depending on a few things. A man may think he is one type, but his words and actions may show that he is another type. Sadly, sometimes men settle for far less than the ideal.

I don’t want to be overly critical as I present my views. As long as Jesus is Lord there is hope for change and growth in maturity. This may be somewhat painful for some readers. But a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. Let’s look at it as if we are rescuing some men who have potential. So, what’s a wimp? Is “wimp” even in the dictionary?

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary has this entry for Wimp: Pronunciation: \`wimp\; Function: noun; Etymology: origin unknown; date: 1920; a weak, cowardly, or ineffectual person. Wimp out: Function: intransitive verb; Date: 1981; to behave like a wimp, to chicken out; especially to choose the easiest course of action.

From these definitions we could say that a wimp is a weak, cowardly man. He is ineffectual, chickens out and looks for the easy decision and/or course of action. It doesn’t sound like he would build confidence in others. It also doesn’t sound like you would want to follow someone like this. So what might be some characteristics of a wimpy man?

First, I think a wimp is a whiner. A wimp will always have something to whine about. They will even find a reason to criticize another man’s success. Second, they play the blame game. Wimps are irresponsible and have to have someone or something to blame for their problems. Of course it’s not their fault!

 Next, wimps are fearful of risks. They are the kind of guys who won’t honestly tell you what they think at the beginning of a project. But let something go wrong and they will tell you all the reasons they knew it would never work. They fear active involvement. If something does not work out they don’t want to get blamed.

They also look for the easy way out. They will avoid sacrifice and loss of comfort regardless of the cost to personal integrity. When looking for guidance they find answers in the easy way. The easier the better and more peace to them or so they think.

Lastly, they are afraid of being found out. They sense that there is something they want to be like, but they are afraid of the responsibility of masculinity. They are afraid of real men or warriors. Wimps don’t like to be challenged. They don’t necessarily like to lose but they are willing to lose masculinity for personal comfort.

Real men, real warriors can spot a wimp. They can hear the wimp’s whine. They can see the wimp’s behavior. The real man balances tenderness with toughness. He balances compassion with courage. The warrior is willing to serve and sacrifice. A warrior can lift someone up or stoop down to help someone out. A real man is humble and can give credit away, yet he is also ambitious and wants to be successful. A real man can work with someone he may not like because he respects him. They trust each other to do their best. A real man is everything a wimp is not. Wimp’s know this too. They will usually try to avoid real men.

In the last paragraph you can read part of my understanding of a godly man or a warrior. I will elaborate on that more in the near future. Hopefully I have given you something to think about. But there are some questions I would like to leave you with and hope you will come back next week to look over my thoughts and answers.

So are there Biblical examples of wimps? If so, are there examples of wimps changing and becoming warriors? Are there examples of a godly man helping a wimpy man become a warrior? What is involved in the change process? Or is it o.k. to be a wimp? You know, once a wimp, always a wimp. Or is that last statement a lie that the devil would like a wimp to believe? I invite you back next week for part 3.

Be encouraged,

Bill (fellow-laborer)

(Romans 15:13; Jeremiah 32:27)

Copyright: Bill Mazey

Wimps, Wildmen and Warriors

February 11, 2010 at 12:11 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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(part 1)

There has been more talk and writing recently about what it means to be a man. Within this discussion people voice their concerns and thoughts about masculinity or the absence of it. There is always the concern about the lack of role models for boys to emulate. There is also concern about men taking longer to grow up and be responsible. Now there are churches trying to have tough men and macho ministries. Many men and women have sought to find an answer to why men don’t attend church regularly or at all.

 Over the next few weeks I will seek to give my perspective and thoughts on this subject. From my vantage point and experience I have broken the discussion down into three areas. There are boys and men in every category. You may already be thinking of where some man fits. I also hope to give an illustration from Scripture of a man in each category. What does God’s Word have to say about wimps, wild men and warriors, if anything at all? Today is just a brief overview to set the stage.

 WIMPS: better known as sissy’s. “Sissy” is not a politically correct word. No boy or man worth anything wants to be called a sissy. More dumb dares have been accepted just to prove that you are not a sissy. Back in the day, it was connected to girlish behavior. But let’s stick to the word, “wimp.” It conjures up pictures of Popeye’s friend, Wimpy. The overweight, out of shape glutton who was borrowing the price of hamburger with the promise of paying it back tomorrow. Who really wants to be known as a wimp?

WILDMEN: to some boys or men, this is the ideal. The do what I like when I like to whomever or with whomever I like kind of man. He’s the brash, in your face adventurer. To show my hand a little, I have a simple question that I have asked a number of men for a few years. No one has yet given me a good Biblical answer. So if there are any Eldredgeites out there, “where in Scripture are we told to be wild men”? Please show me where God wants boys or men to have hearts that are wild.

WARRIORS: just what is a warrior? Does modern society (especially boys and/or men) understand what a warrior is? The word is used so loosely that I am not sure that we understand the real definition. Is it someone who just toughs it out when things are bad? Or is there more to it than that? When we understand what a warrior was in Scripture is there any application to present society? Is being a warrior a role reserved for men only?

I have my perspective, beliefs and practical application. Not everyone will like what I have to say. That’s o.k. with me. I will leave you with some questions to think over. So now, where is the Church in all of this mess? Where is the Church learning about masculinity, maleness, manhood, and just being a man? How do we let boys be boys while helping them learn to be a man? What is a man supposed to act like? How do men balance being tough with being tender? How do men balance humility with ambition?

I have a lot more questions, but I’ll stop here. I will try to ask and answer some questions next week. I will also give an illustration from the Bible. I hope you will be back to learn about wimps. I just don’t want you to be one!

Much grace and peace to you,

Bill  (a fellow-laborer)

(Romans 15:13; Psalm 5:11-12)

(copyright: Bill Mazey)

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