Of men and boys

My wife and I have greatly benefited for Michael and Debbi Pearl's ministry, No Greater Joy. Their books (Created to be His Help Meet, To Train Up a Child) have had a significant impact on our marriage and our parenting:"(There are some things we disagree with them on, including Michael Pearl's classification of Calvinism as a heresy! But, by and large, we really like a lot of their stuff on marriage and children.)":. We get their monthly magazine, and this month's edition contains an article I had to pass on. It is available here.

The article is entitled What does it mean to be a man?, by Michael Pearl. I'll cut to the chase. His definition is this: "A real man is someone who does his duty and doesn't shun the hard work that is necessary in providing for all the needs of his family."

Also from the article…

Sometimes a man has to do what is unpleasant. That is the demarcation line. Boys stop and look for sympathy and understanding, while the men keep going into territory where it gets hard, painful, and more than that, boring?sickeningly and painfully boring. But they go resolutely on and do it because it has to be done. Men don?t put it off until tomorrow, that nebulous time where it is certain to never get done; they knuckle down and do their duty today. That is a real man.

…

One's willingness to do unpleasant daily duties is tied inextricably to his manly character. A dutiful man is a good man. A lazy man who puts off doing his duty over the years experiences an erosion of character, for he must resort to lies and excuses to explain his continual failure to do what is expected of him. He soon develops a propensity to be dishonest, self-centered, lustful, gluttonous, fearful, and insecure.

Pearl also goes on to describe the importance of teaching our children the value of work. He recommends starting early, allowing your children to participate in the daily duties around the house. He makes the point that a child's self-image doesn't depend only on our words, but also on his perception of his value to his family.

Amanda does a great job of this. Pete helps with the laundry. He puts dishes in the sink. He takes Elsie's diapers to the trash can for us, which would definitely cross over into the "unpleasant" category. I still don't understand how a creature this cute could possibly produce something that smells so bad. But, I digress.

As a man, and as a child trainer appointed by and accountable to the God of the universe, I was challenged and convicted by this article. I know I have room to grow as a man and as a "worker." I also know I have room to grow as a parent whose goal is to turn our young, immature children into strong, God-fearing men and women.

Take a few minutes to read the article. I'm confident you will benefit from it.