VS
Is it really about the brawn or the wits? Is it really about the intelligence or the number of girls running after you?
"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." Jn.7:24
Let's take this to court but no mere human can really set the standard for real men. Who else but God?
To start of, let us delve into the world of the layman--what the world established as a common standard measure of musculinity.
Gold. Wicked as the world is, money is the thing that's making its world go round. It seems like to a man, money can do the most help and pleasure to his miserable life. With money, he can buy anything to sink his teeth into. Perhaps it could somehow satisfy his insatiable hunger for lust and anything that his flesh could ever ask for.
Glory. Talking about bragging rights... To the world, the more "packs" a man has in his abdomen; the more muscles he has in his futile body; the more he passes the rare human standard of being handsome, the more he has the rights to brag about himself. Surely, every man in his childish thoughts wants to be worshiped for the strength he has, much like Nero in his hay-days.
Girls. Oh yeah. Those days of running away for the girls crazy about you surely would turn up the volume of every man's daydream. How could a politician win if he has no votes at all? In the same way, men cast their votes and quality by the number of girls under their arms. The more girls they entice with their own bravado, well... How 'manly' can they get especially if he brags with his homies the number of times he went to bed with his prey.
Muscle. Men can fight. If he knows Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Boxing, etc., he can establish his dominating presence among his peers because of his fighting swagger. Men would fear him and women would like to have someone like him to be their protector. His strength is in the way he fight.
Now, on to the real standard.
The most handsome man to ever walk on earth was of course, Adam, the first man, since his looks were patterned exactly after the image of God.
So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. Gen. 1:27
He has a perfect DNA until he sinned and darkness reigned on earth since that day until the second Adam came, the same man who spoke about judging by real standards.
Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. Rom. 5:14
Real standards are not from earth but from heaven. It came not from the ones being judged but from the one who is worthy to be the judge, the one who created man. Here then is the real standard from heaven:
Not Muscle But Spirit. It's not all about fighting back. Real men can control their emotions and let love to his brother overcome him rather than his anger. Man's real strength is not tested in his capability to fight nor his capability to forgive. Real men take the blows and turn the other cheek.
'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.' Mat. 5:39
And after all, war is waging in this wicked world and the real warriors, the real strong men, don't fight against the flesh but against the wicked deceit of the Evil One.
'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.' Eph. 6:12
Not Girls but Men. Happy is a man who, along with the Real Man, build the Kingdom of God by doing his part in bringing more souls to God.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Mk. 1:17
He leads men to the Righteous one not by means of force or deceit but by means of Truth. Parallel to the world's standard, the more souls a man reaps for heaven, the more apparent his glory will be upon the return of the Christ who started it all.
Not Glory but Surrender. A real man knows that he is nothing but a mere cosmic dust. He knows his insignificance compared to the enormous creation that is unfathomably vast.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children- Ps. 103: 15-17
Man's real wisdom is in his acceptance of his foolishness and his dedication for the eternal wisdom of God. It's not in the way he hates but in the way he loves.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 1Cor. 1:25
And it is not in the way he values his life but it is in the way he would lose it for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Jn. 15:13
Not Gold but GOD. What is money when you have everything in God? Every pleasure in this world would eventually fade and man's lust for worldly pleasure will never be satisfied. Joy is found in the Lord alone.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." Heb. 13:5
A real man knows that real wealth is in his contentment of what he has. Blessed is a man who takes delight in the Lord for he shall be blessed.
More of these are found in the Word of the Almighty God, for He said:
Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path.
For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. Prov. 2:9-10
Judging by the real standards, ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?
