My seven year old came to me holding his hand. I could tell by the look on his face that he had hurt himself. “What’s wrong son?” I asked. “I jabbed my hand with my pencil” was his sad reply. How, I thought, while practicing cursive h’s, was he able poke his palm hard enough to cause it to bleed? I do not know nor care to ask. But as I went to get some medicine and a Band-Aid, he ran. I guess no boy likes to have his cuts cleaned. “Andrew!” I said “Come here.” “No, I really don’t want to.” was his answer. Because I believe that every situation should be a teaching moment I said, “I have never known of a boy named ANDREW who was not strong and courageous.” With that he stepped over to me. “Now son, what does being strong and courageous look like?” I asked. His reply – “MOXIE!” “Well then, show me some moxie.” As he looked at his hand and back to me he said, “I really don’t want to.”
Of course he didn’t want to, but he it anyway. I cleaned up his wound and sent him off to finish his work. The whole discourse brought to mind a problem we have seen over the pass few generations. The problem is that boys are not taught to be strong and courageous. They are not taught to take a stand. They are not taught to be leaders. Therefore, they grow up to be men who lack many of the biblical qualities of what a true man should be. As I witness society today I see a blending of feminine traits pushed on little boys. Just this week I saw a little boy pretending he was a cowgirl. I questioned him, thinking he had just misspoken. “What are you playing?” I asked. “I’m Jesse, the Cowgirl!” he replied. “Really, where is Woody, the cowboy?” “Oh, he’s with Buzz. I’m a cowgirl!” Does anyone see a problem with this type of behavior? The problem is multifaceted. It can come from single motherhood, inactive fathers, feminist teaching, weak men, worldly standards, lack of knowledge and much more.
You see, as I read in the Bible what a true man looks like I’m drawn into a mindset of “accept no substitute”. The men in the Bible were warriors. They fought for their land, homes, family. They fought for the truth. They stood when no one else would stand. Men in the Bible were the head of their homes. They understood their role as men. Men in the Bible were providers for their families. They understood that it was their responsibility to provide for and take care of the women and children. Too often I see men who cannot lead their families because they do not know how to. They have never been taught. They will not stand up or speak up for fear of what their wife or another woman will say or do. These men are teaching their boys the same things. Or should I say because the men will not teach the boys anything, others are teaching them. Just the other day I was at an activity with a group of homeschoolers. In walks this little boy. He was maybe 14. He walked like his mother, he dressed like his mother, he talked like his mother, and he flipped his hair out of his face like his mother. Not too many years ago a boy would have been embarrassed to be called a “momma’s boy”, especially at that age. And we wonder why so many boys from Christian homes now have homosexual tendencies? Where is this boy’s father? Does this child have any manly role models? Or do they only have High School Musical, teenie bob, wish I were a man, role models? He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (Pro 13:20)
Don’t get me wrong. I do not blame these poor boys. It certainly is not their fault. But Christians, we must wake up to what we are doing to the next generation. And women, we need to step out of the way and let the men lead. We need to let the fathers train their boys into Biblical manhood. We need to encourage the masculine qualities. We need to place into their lives strong godly role models. We need to start with the Word of God.
I am very thankful that I have a husband who is teaching and training our boys to be men. From the time they were very little my husband has been preparing them to be strong men of courage. He has been preparing them to be hard workers, teaching them that they will be responsible to provide well for their family. He has been training them to fight. Not others – but ideas. He has showed them how to fight error, lies, workers of darkness, false teaching, and worldliness. It is easier to train a boy, than to re-teach a man. Teaching boys to be men really is simple. It’s just not easy. My husband’s advice to other men would be to “man up on it, it’s your responsibility.” My boys would say, “Show me some moxie!” The Bible puts it like this, Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1Co 16:13)
Kimberly Williams 