Masculinity: Created in God's Image

 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Genesis 1:26

When do men know they are men? I've seen the phrase "man card" on Facebook (and maybe used it a time or two) as in, "Time to revoke the man card." So, what are the criteria for the issuance and/or revocation of the same? Where do we go to get one? Who is the governing committee or body?

Interestingly enough, when we go to scripture, we don't get a full answer that says, "Here is what it means to be a man." We have to search scripture in fact to see what God expects of man as well as women, but it is usually in relationship to Him and/or His creation.

Creation is a great place to start, and it is where Dr. Paul Pettit starts in his workbook, "Christ-Centered Masculinity: Becoming the Man God Intends" (2020). As we look at the creation, it is worth noting that God created man to work the garden for God which implies we are unique in creation, the culminating event after creating light, dark, heavens and earth, land and water, creatures to fill all (land, water and skies), and man to tend the garden.  He quotes Thomas Jefferson's observation of being created "in the image of God" by saying, "Humans are a reflection or copy of the divine image, but humans are obviously not divine."

Pettit notes that "Scriptures clearly state God created humanity in two models: male and female," and he notes that the Hebrew clearly distinguishes between man and woman" Beyond that, though, the idea of "masculinity" is "socially constructed and culturally influenced."

So, we were created in God's image to work the garden for God (stewards of His creation), and a female was created from man to be a suitable partner in this arrangement.

How does this initial creation of man impact how we view ourselves as men of God? How does that impact how we view women in our relationship with God and with one another? What are our roles in this life with these things in mind? How does that shape what masculinity is?

We can only pray that God shed light on our awareness of who we are in relationship to Him and our roles in this world with regard to God, His church, and our families and communities. We pray that when we say that there are some things that are "distinctly unique to being a man," that it is scripturally-based, Christ-centered and is God-pleasing.