The Manly Art of Self-Denial

To speak bluntly, the essence of Biblical headship is: Sacrifice. Any man whose leadership is not characterized by sacrifice is a counterfeit. God assigned men authority over home, church, and much of nature for the good of home, church, and much of nature - not men. To the contrary, that authority quite often materializes as responsibility that is accepted to the detriment of one's own comfort, preference, and physical well-being.

There was an era when this was widely understood. The measure of a man was rightly gauged by the level of his self-denial; men were expected to go without for the gain of their families, churches, and communities. Today everywhere around us, false-manhood is built around indulgence and adolescent narcissism.

Good men drive old cars so their wives can keep the safer, more reliable, more comfortable vehicle. True men have better things to spend money on than every other outfit in the mid-spring lineup at Kenneth Cole. Real men record sporting shows and watch them with their leftover time. Fraudulent masculinity motivates some men to accumulate toys that real men will pick up at garage sales for half retail value and enjoy with the sons of their youth. At the end of the week, their bodies ache, and there are often personal needs left unfulfilled.

Because of this, authentic Biblical masculinity is low-key and easy to miss. This series of blogs is a tribute to the real men who've taught me by their lives. If I'm exhorting anyone, it's myself.

Question: What does authentic masculinity look like?

Answer: Jesus Christ. Sacrifice.