The Dallas Cowboys have a new player nick-named “Tank”. A sports writer recently asked the question above: Is the “Tank” a Real Man? Tank has had numerous run-ins with the law and was suspended by the NFL. Booze, guns and shoot-outs have characterized his life-style for some time. Are those the credentials of a “real man”?
Who is a “real man”? Would it be a “Rambo”? Or Schwartzeneggar? Depending on one’s age and background it could be Roy Rogers or John Wayne, but what does it take to be a “real man”? Is it physical strength? Is it intelligence? Or a nice, pleasant appearance?
A teen magazine once surveyed young girls on this subject, and the winner – or the male with the most “manly” qualities – was an athlete known for his strength and skill, but, like the “Tank,” was known also for his violence and had been arrested several times for his violent behavior.
Many were shocked at this, but a news reporter connected those results with the trend toward violence on TV and in the movies. She said no one should be surprised at the results, since such characters were often portrayed as the heroes of many movies and programs that young people see.
Who would be your “hero” today? What qualities would your role model possess? In one recent movie, the “hero” was reported to be a vicious man who had seduced or assaulted young women. His helping to bring outlaws to justice supposedly outweighed his bad qualities. Is that what we want our youths to admire? Just what is a real man?
Strength of Character
Many good people are included in the Bible narrative, but only one of them was a “perfect” person – Jesus Christ. All the rest were flawed in some way, but when their character was tested many passed with “flying colors.” Tempted, but not overcome. Simon Peter failed one major test, but recovered to do much good. That which separated him from Judas Iscariot is that Peter did not allow his sin to linger or to be repeated. He had genuine character, and turned weakness into strength. Such is a good start for a role model.
Well-defined Moral Standards
In Genesis 39, the young man Joseph, far from home and parents and enslaved to a man named Potiphar, was tempted by Potiphar’s wife. He had no one to “make him” behave as he should, but he fled the scene, refusing to cave in to the temptation. We don’t know everything about his up-bringing, but someone must have taught him right from wrong, and that gave him the direction he needed to withstand temptation. He had an ethical code, evidently given by his parents. His “morals” stand as an example of a “real man.” Yes, he was tempted, but he was “man enough” to say no to what he knew was wrong.
That “speaks volumes” to parents with children growing up in their home. Knowing “right from wrong” does not occur merely by growing up. We must be taught if we are to know the difference. That is where us parents come in.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right…ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:1, 4.
Moral Courage
It’s not enough merely to know “right from wrong.” As mentioned before, a “real man” is one who will do what is right regardless of the consequences. That’s what makes him a “real man.” In time of war, many prisoners face torture or death. Talking about courage is easier than acting with courage in the face of personal harm. One man wrote the following:
“For every ten men who are willing to face the guns of an enemy there is only one willing to face the disapproval of his fellows, the censure of his colleagues, the wrath of his society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.”
Respect For Others
A society is in great danger when idolizing one who uses force to gain his/her own pleasure. It is not merely modern thought that considers others as unworthy of respect. Recent years have found men who gauged their manhood by the number of “conquests” they had attained with women. They thought they became more “manly” by their many conquests. Their sights had been set very low, for that is being a bully, not a “real man.”
Respect for others, regard for another’s feelings, those are qualities of mature human beings – whether male or female. A male who behaves as “Tank” did proves his immaturity, not his virility. A “real man” is in control of his passions, not controlled by them.
Young men – don’t fall for the “real man” theory going around today. Young women, you need to look for a real “real man,” not just a big lug with an attitude. Set your sights high. Be a Christian!
