The Man Within

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13: 11 - 12 NKJV

Manhood, it's something many aspire to but more than a few fail to achieve.  We often ask of ourselves, what is it that makes a man?   Perhaps it was Rudyard Kipling who attempted to answer this ages old question in his poem "If."  If the young man would heed the sage advice of Mr. Kipling then...he would be a man, my son.  Is that measure of manhood locked away in the verses of Kiplings poem?  Perhaps.  If it is, then more than a few of us have missed the mark completely.  Still, our search continues.  I find it interesting that boys the world over dream of achieving their own manhood, while women continually wonder where the real men are.  The apostle Paul reveals to us in his letter to the church in Corinth his own journey to manhood...somewhat.  For as Paul tells us, when he was a child, he spoke and understood as a child would.  However, when he finally became a man, he put away such childish things.  I get it.  It is pretty well understood that children...act and understand as children.  They are unseasoned, immature and lacking direction.  This is the natural progression into manhood, when we put away our own childish things to begin our own journey into manhood.  Some don't make that transition.  I will note here that I believe that Paul, in his own way, was attempting to illustrate his own understanding of Christ Jesus.  Indeed, as brand new christians we all too often understand as a child does, being gradually led into our own faith.  However, as our own understanding of our heavenly Father and Christ Jesus deepens, we cast aside those childish things.  We began to live and understand as adults...not children.  

If you can keep your head when all about you
   Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,  
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;  
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
   Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
   And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;  
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;  
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
  And treat those two impostors just the same;  
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
  Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
 And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
   And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
  And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
   To serve your turn long after they are gone,  
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
  Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,  
   Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
   With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,  
 And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
~If - Rudyard Kipling (1943)~

For the very purpose of this discussion, may I reference the very words of our heavenly Father, our creator.  For upon His consideration of our creation, God said "Let us make MAN in our image" {Genesis 1:26}.  In fact, our Lords creation account has numerous references to Adam as "Man."  Now, many will point to the fact that God was simply naming His creation.  I get it.  However, I'm of the belief that our Lord never does anything by happenstance.  With God there is nothing left to chance, for He is all in all.  Therefore, I believe that our heavenly Father was not simply calling Adam by name nor nickname as He refered to His creation as man.  No, from the begining Adam WAS a man.  So, is Adam the standard bearer for those who seek to achieve manhood?  Well.close.  For it is Christ Jesus, the second Adam, who I believe is that example of the man we should be.  It is Jesus who came to give of Himself for all.  It is Jesus who, when He faced the hatred of the Jewish authorities, chose to follow that path set before Him, not thinking of Himself but of others.  For myself, this is more of an example of manhood than anything society can offer up.  For those who worry themselves with being a man, consider that we live today as the man Christ Jesus {Galations 2:20}.  In all that we do, we do so as Jesus.  If you indeed have this realization of Christ in you...you'll be a man, my son.

~Scott~