For many years it was probably considered manly to tackle projects, problems, and other things that seemed impossible. I think of the many wars fought that countries seemed destined to lose but, for one reason or another, the powers that be entered the fray, seeming to ignore the odds. Many war movies have glorified this mindset, but more often than not, the motivation was not because of bravery of valor, but simply because there was no other choice. I'm not saying that the men and women in the military are not brave, but in most cases, especially the ones about which movies are made, the leaders had no choice but to enter into a seemingly hopeless battle; the stakes were simply too high to opt out.
I'm arguing on a smaller level that the modern man simply will not tackle issues or challenges of importance if a victory is not almost guaranteed. We enter into professions which come naturally to us, we pursue women "in our league," and we rarely stretch ourselves to pursue a goal that seems out of our reach. I don't know if this mindset pervades because we don't like looking like idiots, or if it's some sort of self esteem issue, but I argue that true masculinity is defined by pursuing goals that seem impossible.
Now I'm not saying these goals should not be carefully considered, or that any stupid goal will do. My problem is that the modern man often completely ignores incredibly important goals because they think they will fail. Consider the idea of marriage. Today it seems like spending your entire life with one other person is absolutely impossible. Because of this, I would venture to say that many men enter marriage already holding divorce as a card that can (and probably will) be played when needed. Before they even start, many men expect to fail. Because of this, most men don't even start a marriage thinking it will succeed. At the alter, they say vows that are more like "I love you now" than "I'll love you forever." The promise to love someone till death seems impossible, but it's a goal that every married man should put at the top of his list. It seems like it will be a losing battle but, much like the wars countless governments have entered where defeat was sure, the stakes are simply too high to enter a marriage without the mindset of aiming for the impossible.
Most recently I faced this issue when asked to discuss with a student a specific sin area. This sin area is becoming more pervasive (and accepted) in our culture, and I have three people very close to me who have bought into the mindset that this sin is not really sin. When asked to talk with this student, who very much thinks along the lines of those three people close to me, I felt an immediate sense of defeat. What's the point in talking about something that the student obviously doesn't think is wrong? Is there any hope for Truth to stand up when the entire culture is standing against it? It seemed like a losing battle from the beginning, especially considering that people I have spent my entire life don't want to hear what I think the Bible clearly teaches on this area. If friends I've known for years haven't taken into consideration anything I've said on the subject, why on earth would a teenager I barely know listen?
This mindset reveals a mode of operation I have to cut out of my life; instead of only taking on challenges I think I can accomplish, I must take on any challenge God throws my way when the stakes are too high to ignore. In our culture, men want to look successful, so they take on things within their ability. The difference between those guys and Christ followers is that the level of challenges we are capable of achieving is unlimited, as long as God is glorified. The same power that brought Jesus out of the grave lives in us, and this is the key to winning losing battles. We like to quote Philippians 4:13 for football games and such, but I think the underlying truth in this verse is that we can do anything through Christ, when it glorifies God.
God is presenting me with an opportunity to speak into a student's life about a sin area clearly depicted in Scripture. It seems like a lost cause, but a true man of God takes on these challenges, through Christ's power, for His glory.
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