God created us to rule and reign over his creation for its good. But sin has now distorted our masculine presence in the world. And left unchecked we bring poison and death instead of goodness and life. But Christ’s work of redemption in our lives allows our masculinity to once again be a tonic to the world.
To be sure, when dominated by sin, our masculinity becomes toxic through our attempts to control and push our own agenda, or through our retreat into passivity and impotence. Either way, our strength is no longer used to embody love.
But as we’re being transformed into the image of Christ our masculinity becomes healing rather than harmful – bringing life and goodness instead of brokenness and death.
Like a good shepherd we protect, provide, and guide our family and community toward God’s best. We’re playful and lighthearted – leading the way to celebrating life with others. We remain calm with a deep inner peace as the chaos of this world swirls around us – patiently enduring hardships with our souls firmly anchored in God’s eternal story. We’re kind and good, faithful and true, gentle yet dangerous while disciplining our very selves in the service of God’s kingdom of light.
Whatever it looks like, we generously bring life, stability, and meaning into the world around us – participating with Christ in his work of redemption and the restoration of all that is true, good, and beautiful.
Of course, as a tonic, our work is often slow and focused on sustaining and strengthening others over time. It’s not particularly flashy or adrenaline filled. But God is using us for his glory even when we don’t appear impressive from the perspective of the world.
In the end, let Christ heal and redeem your masculinity so that it becomes a tonic blessing the world around you.
Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash
