What are practical things I can do to be more manly, masculine?

Red-Curious · 2019-04-05T21:21:32+00:00

Here's my list for where you're going to find the answer to your question:

Read the Bible
Develop a clear, concise mission that incorporates making disciples through intentionally modeling your life for specific people you're trying to influence
Spend time with other men who you want to be like
Ask someone to disciple you who you believe embodies biblical masculinity in a form that you want to live up to
Try new things and see if they resonate with your spirit - go hiking, take up fencing, attend a car show ... just new things you don't normally do.
Take risks. The more risks you take, the more you will feel your heart oriented toward certain directions, and the more faith you will be developing, particularly as you see God pull through. Just don't take idiotic risks, like betting your life savings on 100-1 odds.

Again, these are not things to do to be masculine. They are things to do to discern the way God wants you to express biblical masculinity in your own life.

I could give you a list like:

go hunting
wrestle a bear
participate in drag races
wear camo
smoke cigars
drink dark beer

These things all sound "manly," and certainly men who embody biblical masculinity do these things - but many men who are appropriately biblically masculine don't do many of these things. I hate camo and the thought of going hunting repulses me (not because I care about the animals; I'm just not a wilderness guy), nor will I ever smoke a cigar. That doesn't make me less of a man in God's eyes.

So, I'd be less concerned with what you DO to become a biblical man and more interested in what God has designed for you. What's your mission? That's where you've got to start. Figure that out, then figure out the requirements to fulfill it to your maximum potential. That's going to be your best guide to figuring out what type of man God has created you to be.

There are certain traits that are going to be common, though. A guy who isn't confident isn't going to express the Gospel clearly to the men he disciples. A guy who isn't assertive will shy away at the first sign of disinterest in the message God has for him to share. But you'll learn these things as you follow the above advice anyway, and these are more attributes than practices - and you mostly posted about things you can do.

4percent3381 · 2019-04-05T21:38:00+00:00

What about Lifting? Like the #1 thing in the sidebar. The first thing asked on the own your stuff threads...

Like the 1 thing you should be doing but aren’t..

LIFTING IS NOT OPTIONAL

It’s the price of admission, why should we spend our time helping you if you’re not doing any work?

OsmiumZulu · 2019-04-06T01:08:57+00:00

Currently reading the The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

Want to be more manly? Toss this book in the garbage where it belongs. Tim Keller is a beta cuck.

Also, deadlift. Sheesh.

ChadDownUnder · 2019-04-07T14:15:29+00:00

Embrace uncomfortableness. Do things that hurt. Develop an eye for everyday situations you can increase your suffering in. Some personal suggestions:

Having a shower? Make it cold.

Playing table tennis? Play stingers rules.

Feel like watching Netflix? Open up a book instead.

Sitting down to read a book? Read it standing up.

Wasting time? Delete social media for a week.

SeamusAwl · 2019-04-05T22:20:43+00:00

Aside from the spiritual that RC laid out. I would state:

Make decisions and stick to them
Own your mistakes
Be responsible for what you have authority over
Don't let emotion or fear rule you
Always be learning and improving
Lift
If you see something that needs doing, do it

redwall92 · 2019-04-05T21:04:04+00:00

Iron John by Robert Bly.

He talks a lot about what it means in different cultures to transition from boyhood to manhood and how we've lost that initiation concept. He covers a ton in that book. Some ephemeral. Some concrete. It's kind of like a David Dieda conversation he has with the reader about manhood.

Deep_Strength · 2019-04-05T21:37:40+00:00

RC covered the bulk of it. One other thing to add, lift weights:

https://www.reddit.com/r/RPChristians/comments/9l4fij/lifting_is_not_a_suggestion/

Helps to build discipline, physical stature, increases testosterone, and many other positive attributes. While not necessarily "Biblical" in nature, it does synergize well.

Nodeal_reddit · 2019-04-06T02:23:27+00:00

1When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,

I read that as David’s primary litmus test of Solomon’s manhood was wether or not he followed God.

But the manhood of the Bible isn’t soft modern feminist manhood. It’s about responsibility, leadership, moral and physical courage, wisdom, loyalty, humility, and service.

RedPillCoach · 2019-04-09T03:58:22+00:00

I think you have touched on something that is deep and burning in our society.

Where are all the good men?

What does it mean to be a good man?

What does masculinity look like?

What do you have to DO to be a man?

I don't have any easy answers for you. Jack Donovan, The Way of Men suggests that we are tribal by nature and we establish a rough and tumble pecking order very quickly. I would say men are distinguished from women in that men are active. Strong men take the initiative and make the world and others conform to them.

In short, this leads me to a much quicker answer than I expected: Masculine men do masculine things. Masculine men do kickboxing and karate and play basketball and football. They climb mountains and run marathons. They bike down Mount Haleakala in a tropical depression just to see if they can make it. They can be reckless and even be convinced to charge across barbed wire into the trenches.

I’m not as assertive or confident as I could be, I lack older male mentors in my life and I pray everyday for that

You connected these two concepts for a reason. You think your lack of male mentors has affected your assertiveness and confidence. I want to challenge you on that and suggest that older male role models may not be as important for confidence as you think. More importantly, there are other ways to gain that confidence. Find them and do that.

While you are moving on that front, I wonder how you can contact a variety of positive male role models? The truth is it is slim pickings today. Very slim. I think the answer is networking the numbers. Expand your social circle. Join a martial arts club. Or a sports league.

Finally, study the life of Jesus. He is usually portrayed as a mousy, quiet, man but that is very unlikely. Consider the stature and physical strength, presence, loud voice, and so on, required to empty out the Temple courtyards. Consider walking into a 1st Century village and immediately surrounded by thousands of people. Imagine the booming voice that would have been required. It is easy to imagine scenes of total mayhem all through His ministry with Jesus frequently quieting and directing the crowd. Also, if you have been to the Holy Land, the conditioning required to walk up and down those mountains in that terrain in sandals is astounding. I have never met a single person today who could do it.

screwston281 · 2019-04-06T01:28:34+00:00

Start a side hustle. Doesn't hurt take risks and make some profit on the side. Entrepreneurship is rewarding if done right.

God bless :)

[deleted] · 2019-04-05T22:11:31+00:00

I subscribed to the recent trial of Apple News+ (Netflix for magazines basically) and start reading Men’s Health and Men’s Journal magazines. To me these have been really helpful.

Title	What are practical things I can do to be more manly, masculine?
Author	StrivingforTruth116
Upvotes	13
Comments	24
Date	April 5, 2019 8:44 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/RPChristians
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/RPChristians/comments/b9wev8/what_are_practical_things_i_can_do_to_be_more/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/RPChristians/what-are-practical-things-i-can-do-to-be-more.301345 https://theredarchive.com/post/301345