“ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Cor. 16:13
A recent Associated Press poll found that Gen Z high school boys have grown significantly more conservative in their sociopolitical views, up from 18% 10 years ago to 26% presently. This finding is not necessarily good news for Christians in the midst of growing discontent in a generation of “lost boys” who will soon become “lost men.”
The social trend in men is alarming. About a quarter of males now grow up in families without fathers. They suffer from historic levels of depression and suicide. While most women’s wages have increased, men’s wages are below what they were 40 years ago. Significantly more men die of drug overdose. They are more overweight than women, and more likely to live with their parents into their 30s. Men are also lonelier. Less than half of men report being satisfied with their friendships, and just one in five says he’s received emotional support from a friend in the last week. A large percentage of these young men can’t find and commit to a real partner or no longer care about doing so.
Statistics like these have led one essayist to propose that because “the modern, postindustrial economy is simply more congenial to women than to men,” men are becoming obsolete. As a result, more young men are drawn to philosophies espoused by “conservative” podcasters, psychologists, and writers that emphasize self-help, physical fitness, and a deeper sense of manliness. Men yearn to re-embrace masculinity with roles distinctively unique and valued in our society and where they can return to the “good life” that men enjoyed in the past.
In 1 Cor. 16:13 and Romans 12, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the purpose of Christian life is to be consecrated to the eternal resolve and faith that we are called to. We are to be strong as men, not to be significant to our peers, but to be steadfast in front of God. Christian men are to be strong in times of persecution, never think too highly about themselves, and live in compassion with joy and tears (Romans 12:14-17). This is Biblical masculinity, unique and distinctive from conservatism masculinity. The good life we seek isn’t synonymous with eternal life. No philosophy in the world can save us.
As more men feel the devastation modern life has inflicted on their humanity and masculinity, our church should respond in how we teach, esteem, and value men (and women) as God’s creation, for whom God gave up His Son. We need to build a spiritual family, in which struggling men outside and inside may find solace, encouragement, and support. So, together, we can live out God’s calling in this world of uncertainty as testimony to His perfect design and love.