Real Men Wear Gowns

A commercial on the radio from the Ad Counsel regarding men going in to see the doctor for necessary exams includes the slogan "Real Men Wear Gowns."

I thought to myself, "Is there a question to what a real man is? Are there hordes of men out there not sure what a real man is? Now that the Ad Counsel has proclaimed that real men wear gowns, thus clarifying this for men questioning their manhood, are these men going to rush out to the medical offices so that they can finally feel like real men?"

Offering the suggestion that real men wear gowns, obviously, is a play on words. Of course men don't need such an ad to affirm they are men. However, using such a suggestion as a selling tool says heaps about the symptoms our society is currently enduring when it comes to gender identity.

As a result of a push for gender neutrality by the secular liberals, and those who desire a justification for their questionable activities, a question has seriously arisen in our society regarding what it takes to be a real man.

Women often say they desire a man with sensitivities, one that isn't some "Me Tarzan, You Jane, Neanderthal." However, the modern woman complains there are no real men left out there with masculinity bursting from their veins.

Which is it? Which do you want? And why are women constantly trying to turn men into something more like them?

I am not bashing on women, but the feminization of the masculine gender, I believe, plays a serious role in the societal symptoms that led the Ad Counsel to essentially offer a definition of what a real man is.

Why would the question even arise in the first place? What is the root of any doubts that may arise regarding the definition of a real man?

Growing up I had no question of what a real man is, or whether or not I would navigate the waters to the wonderful world of manhood. I learned early on that being a real man wasn't some false image, or walking around acting macho while wearing the most stylish clothing.

Being a man, I realized, is very simple. I live up to my responsibilities. I perform my role as a husband, a father, and as an "individual" with the utmost care and careful attention to doing what is right. I do not ignore my spiritual side, and carefully fulfill my role as the spiritual leader of my household. I am involved in the environment around me. I am knowledgeable about the things that I believe matter to me and my family, like politics, faith, and news. I do the things that are necessary to survive in a world where it seems like obstacles crop up from all directions.
In this world of wavering morality, feminism, the feminization of men (you gotta be sensitive, boys!), and societal messages of gender neutrality, I suppose it would make sense that the question of real manhood would pop up. What is a real man? and am I a real man? are becoming serious questions being asked by many members of the male gender in our current society.

According to the commercial by the Ad Counsel, Real Men Wear Gowns. In other words, real men are willing to step down from being macho for just a second, and do what he's gotta do.

I agree, actually. It takes a real man to sometimes humble himself, or do things that he would not normally do, to make sure necessities in life are met. After all, what makes a man a man is not necessarily how macho he is. What makes a man a man is his reaction to the events exploding around him. His response to the situations that arise in his life is a telling part of who he is as a man.

As I have told my son, a man is also judged by his actions, not just his words.

Does the man meet the challenges of life head on? Does he resolve his conflicts as they need to be resolved? Does he make big things out of little things and little things out of big things - Or does he choose his battles wisely? Is he willing to stand up and protect himself, yet lend a hand to those who cannot?

In the end there is even a larger answer to the question of how to be a real man.

A real man is a spiritual leader in his family, by both his words, and his example. By both his teaching, and his actions. His children look up to him, and emulate him (of course there are exceptions to this, considering the onslaught of opposing views bombarding children from society). His wife feels safe with him, protected, assured that he will always be her protector both physically and emotionally, and looks forward to being with him because she knows he will make sure he does the right thing, and what is beneficial to his family.

He also serves as a Godly example in all of those things mentioned above, and more. He is "In The Word," learning from Scripture and applying what he learns to his life. Members of his family, or members of his circle of friends and acquaintances, watch him, they need not ask questions of his spirituality because his fruit reveal it. He is a tree with a solid foundational root system dug deep into the earth - with a trunk that is solid and strong, straight and tall - and a tree with fruit that reflects what kind of man he truly is.

After all, you do know a tree by its fruit, don't you?

Now those who are not of faith, or find Christians to be an enemy to their lifestyle or way of thinking, are probably chuckling as they read this. Their definition of a man, more often than not, is one of what society is trying to create, or one of relativistic or pluralistic morals.

Women throughout society, and recent history, have been trying to make men more sensitive, more caring, more understanding. In themselves, these traits are not necessarily bad things. A man should have these traits as well.

But the modern woman is to alter men to a point that they are really trying to make men more like them. Then, later, they complain that there are no real men out there. That's because, ladies, you've been spending all your time trying to make them more like you.

There is another definition that covers what a real man is all about. This world offers many enticements that are destructive in nature. Lifestyles, addictions, and behavioral fetishes that can destroy the all important concept of the family unit, and the importance of the role of a man in that family structure. Some folks try to justify these behavioral aberrations. But there is no validation out there, especially as long as the standards and principles of morality exist. A real man recognizes this. A real man recognizes when the poison darts of these afflictions are upon them. The man puts on the armor of God - Girdle of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, Sword of the Spirit. They protect themselves in order to protect their family, because if they fall victim, so will their loved ones around them.

A real man does not justify bad behavior. He recognizes it for what it is, and lives a life contrary to it.

Nobody is perfect. No man is truly and completely the ultimate man. But, as we move forward in life, and our journey ensues, our progress toward becoming a more Godly man becomes easier because we have progressed and have become more like what The Creator intended us to be.

Perfection is by no means obtainable. The pursuit of being a Godly man and a righteous man is a journey well worth pursuing, however, and bears the fruit of the life of a real man.