Conforming to Jesus..or to John Wayne and Grizzly Adams and Tarzan

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1still_waters

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#1
I've noticed that in the body of Christ, since there is a lack of men stepping up to do their job, some are trying to fill the lack with new tools to encourage men to be 'men'.

The more I examine these well intentioned things that are encouraging men to be men, the more I wonder about their desired outcome.

I listen to James Dobson types and John Eldridge types talk and write about manhood, and it leaves me asking this question. "Are they trying to conform men to John Wayne,Grizzly Adams and Tarzan instead of to the very image of Christ?"

James Dobson seems obsessed with turning men into John Wayne or some kind of cowboy he saw in his Western movies growing up.

John Eldridge seems like he's trying to make men in to grunting hunter gatherer types, who swing from a vine like Tarzan and live in the woods grunting and rubbing their backs against the rough bark of a tree to pacify the itch on their back.

Hey, I get that there is a certain roughness and toughness that comes as an inherent trait to men, but that shouldn't be the focus when seeking to restore men to their 'intended' roles.

The goal shouldn't be to help men rediscover their primal urges, but rather to help men discover the urges the Father has intended us to find in conforming to the very image of Christ. We shouldn't seek to discover our 'wild heart' as John Eldridge proposes, rather we should seek to discover the heart of God and the very character of Jesus.

Romans 8:29

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
 
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Derek

Guest
#2
Good point! Maybe it has to do with their idea of a godly man rather than Gods idea of a man.
Have you ever read anything by Mark Driscoll? He tends to focus on teaching men to be Christ-like. I think he does a good job. He has a free E-book called, "Porn-again Christian" directed toward rearing young men to obey Christ. It's a good read, if you google the title I'm sure you'd find it.

Good post.
 
Jan 8, 2009
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#3
I agree whole heartedly with the OP.

After reading the book Wild at Heart I felt something wrong with it , and after checking what it says against the Scripture it falls short on a number of points. Matter of fact a girlfriend gave it to me while we were still together which probably contrbuted to us breaking up. Bad move. She didnt think I was "man enough " according to that stupid book Eldridge wrote.

Worse, it may give women the stereotypical image of a man that they want to hear and impose on their man instead of accepting them as they are. And at the same time, make those men who do not live up to the expectations of the book, to feel they are somehow less of a man. But hey, I guess women get that all the time with the Proverbs "virtuous woman" nonsense.
 
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1still_waters

Guest
#4
I agree whole heartedly with the OP.

After reading the book Wild at Heart I felt something wrong with it , and after checking what it says against the Scripture it falls short on a number of points. Matter of fact a girlfriend gave it to me while we were still together which probably contrbuted to us breaking up. Bad move. She didnt think I was "man enough " according to that stupid book Eldridge wrote.

Worse, it may give women the stereotypical image of a man that they want to hear and impose on their man instead of accepting them as they are. And at the same time, make those men who do not live up to the expectations of the book, to feel they are somehow less of a man. But hey, I guess women get that all the time with the Proverbs "virtuous woman" nonsense.
Yeah and if ya do drink the Eldridge sauce, they'd prolly say you were too much of a caveman.:p
 
Jan 8, 2009
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#5
yep lol good poing, although I've read that the hairy look is coming back in.
 
K

kujo313

Guest
#6
Satan is attacking the men because we men are supposed to be the leaders in our own homes. We're supposed to be the priests in our families. We're supposed to lead.
Instead, just look at how Hollywood portrays the men in families.
 
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