Warriors.
1 Soldiers.
2 Athletes.
3
These are the types of men we like to think of ourselves. If we’re not filling the shoes of Jack Bauer on the city streets, we like to watch brave heroism on television and the big screen (yes, I can admit that I’ve now seen every episode of the Fox series 24). If we’re not fighting over seas in a war, we like to wave flags and support our military in any way possible. If we’re not playing football in the backyard, we’re rooting our teams and isolating Sunday afternoons for the faithful couch that never let us down.
For every man’s man, there’s an active life he either attempts to live out himself or vicariously through someone else. Riding horseback on the American Frontier, racing a sports car down the interstate, or testing a new shotgun video game on the newest program is the expectation of our day to day life. This is the nature of man. Or so we’ve been told.
Why, then, does the Scripture use examples like warriors, athletes, and soldiers to describe the experience of faith? Are these not illustrations of the masculine man who functions on the basis of his might and his strength?
“The glory of young men [is] their strength: and the beauty of old men [is] the gray head.” Proverbs 20:29
Without question, the Lord has designed young men as strong and appeals to their understanding by way of experience. But bear in mind that Paul used the warrior and soldier example with a “young man” named Timothy. And upon using those lessons, he drew a much bigger truth.
“But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” I Timothy 4:7-8
The Greek word translated “exercise” here is
gumnasea, from which we are more familiar as gymnasium. We “go to the gym” for a variety of reasons, but the core of which involves being men of strength versus men of weakness. I, for one, have attempted to take on this form of exercise and proved that I could easily play a character from
Revenge of the Nerds (in fact, put me on a treadmill for three minutes and my legs will forever be as vanilla pudding). But whether we are experienced or not with this process, we understand it and admire it for the example that it sets of discipline and development. Timothy was also familiar with the
gumnasea and recognized that vigorous exercise of the mind and body constituted a Greek measure of strength.
Thus, when Scripture speaks about warriors, soldiers, and athletes, it is not appealing to modern masculinity, but the disciplined masculinity of exercised men. If we are to understand our masculinity, we must understand it with regard to self-control, patience, and a certain level of restraint. Discover this aspect of yourself and turn it toward godliness rather than contemplating strength on the basis of male and female traits.
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