Letters From Grandpa #356

LETTERS FROM GRANDPA

• 356

Dearest grandsons,

My apologies to all of our grand daughters, but today’s letter will be especially for the fellas to step up the plate and “act like men”. Paul wrote about this to the Corinthians “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Cor 16:13-14 NAS). While I know it is not politically correct, I would still ask every young man to consider this Scripture and “act like men”.

Adam was created in the image of God. Consequently, God commanded him to “subdue” the earth and to rule over fish, birds, livestock, and every living creature that moved along the ground (Gen. 1:28). Adam was put in charge of the garden and even gave names to all living creatures (Gen. 2:15-20). Adam was therefore the world’s first “taxonomist”. The original sin occurred when Adam failed to “act like a man”. His wife encouraged him to do something that he knew was wrong. The Scriptures are explicit: “Adam was not deceived” (1 Tim. 2:14). For some inexplicable reason, however, the man whom God created to be in charge, relinquished his responsibility. God, however, still held him responsible. After the forbidden fruit was eaten the Lord didn’t call for an explanation from the woman, “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen. 3:9). Certainly the world would be much different if Adam had only acted like a man and taken charge like God intended him to. AMONG OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS, ACTING LIKE A MAN MEANS BEING THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF YOUR FAMILY!

The failure of Adam has been repeated many times throughout the course of human history. Men, who should stand up for what is right, sometimes waver and fail. Invariably, when good men “go along to get along” bad things happen. The Hebrew people, for example, became slaves to their enemies when their men refused to act like men. God warned that they were taken captive by foreigners if their men refused to obey His commandments! (See Deut. 28) God did not create man to be a slave, or to have some cruel dictator put hooks in his jaw. Man was created to take charge! That’s why it is important for men to “act like men”!

The expression to “act like men” was not just understood by Jews and Christians. Even the pagan Philistines knew how men ought to behave. When they were at war with Israel they faced the choice of slavery or fighting for freedom. They chose to “be men and fight” (1 Sam. 4:9). Paul’s affirmation to act like men and be strong, however, is alloyed by the command which immediately follows to “do everything in love” (1 Cor. 16:14).

• Sometimes, as you know, love is the motivating force for a fight. Remember 9/11 and United Flight
• 93. Four Islamic terrorists killed the pilots and took command of the airplane. They turned toward Washington D.C. and indicated to passengers that they were going to crash into the Capital Building. It was at that point that men like Tom Burnett, Jeremy Glick, and Todd Beamer decided to quit acting like sheep and start acting like men. Tom Burnett said during a phone call to his wife: “I know we're all going to die, but we are going to do something, I love you honey." Jeremy Glick phoned his wife and said: “"I love Emmy, take care of her.” Todd Beamer was on the phone with Lisa Jefferson before he uttered his famous words: “Let’s roll”. He made Lisa promise to call his wife and two sons and tell them that he loved them. By acting like men they were willing to die to save the lives of others.

The Aztec Emperor Ahuitzotl (1486-1502) celebrated the opening of a great temple in Mexico by sacrificing some 70,000 political prisoners. The victims were lined up for miles and the ghastly ritual took several days to complete. Was there not anyone among these 70,000 victims who would dare to act like a man? In Spanish the word “agachar” means to “bend down” or “stoop”. To refer to

someone as an “agachado” is therefore an insult. It stereotypes someone to be like their spineless ancestors who stood in line with stooped shoulders and bowed head waiting to have their hearts cut out with an obsidian knife. Wouldn’t it have been better to act like men?

Patrick Henry asked this haunting question: “Is life so dear, or is peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death”.

In recent times we have seen the “Feminization of America”. Acting like a man is now considered to be “toxic”. Men today are expected to act like women. Sadly we have gone from a generation of brave men storming the beaches of Normandy to a generation of woke men who feel unsafe at a Chick-Fil-A. The desire to be manly has been replaced by “touchy feely” emotions that can be “triggered” by merely hearing an opposing point of view. “Speech” that hurts your feelings is now banned on campus and considered by many as “violence”. Sadly, our present society is prejudiced against men. The divorce courts reward women with the children in 85% of child custody cases. As you know, the welfare checks stop when the father comes home. Gloria Steinem quipped that “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”. Interestingly, this famous feminist abandoned her own advice and got married. The wedding took place in Sept. 2000, and was performed by the Chief of the Cherokee Nation, a woman named Wilma Mankiller. Thomas Sowell points out that liberalism is a bigger problem to the black family than slavery: He wrote:“Nearly a hundred years of the supposed ‘legacy of slavery’ found most black children [78%] being raised in two-parent families in 1960. But thirty years after the liberal welfare state found the great majority of black children being raised by a single parent [66%].” Acting like a man is not bad! Among other things,“acting like a man” involves getting a job, staying home, and providing for your family (1 Tim. 5:8).

“Acting like a man” in no way results in the abuse of wife or children. Just the reverse. A true man loves his wife in the same way Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25). Jesus was a man and yet loved little children to the point that He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). “Acting like a man” means being willing to die for your wife and children. This is precisely what millions of men have already done. Godly men have willingly gone to war and died protecting their wives and children.

So, at the risk of offending people whom I love, I am going to stick with with the Bible and say to every man: “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong”.

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce