I love to read biographies, the stories of men like Oswald Chambers, C.S. Lewis, John Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Augustine, Paul, and Jeremiah. As I read about their lives, I get the impression that our modern ideas about masculine maturity are a far cry from what godly men of earlier generations understood and practiced.
We talk a lot today about things like vulnerability and the courage to feel our pain. They seemed more interested in worship and witnessing. We speak of honest communication and living up to our potential. They fell to their knees in brokenness and got up to serve.
I wonder if the virtues we try to develop came naturally to those men from years ago whose toughest battles were fought against whatever kept them from knowing Christ.
We get together in small groups to share our feelings and to discuss principles for relating more intimately or building self-esteem. They took long walks with older men who spoke easily about God and broke into prayer without warning. (p. 30)
Granted, the ability to be vulnerable and discuss feelings are valuable and necessary (and the "tough guy" image that these characteristics are legitimately reacting against has its problems), but all too easily these seem to replace depth and worship in our lives. Perhaps we do spend far too much effort on coming to "know ourselves" to the detriment of coming to know Christ. Perhaps we must come to the One who, when we submit ourselves to follow Him, will not let us foolishly walk in the paths of darkness and mirages that we all too easily embrace. For He offers life--not an easy life, not a comfortable life, not a self-centered life, but a transformed and worshipful and true life.
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