On a scale of 1 to 10, how manly is God? This is an idea that has been growing on me for some time now. I want God to be manly. During our menâs Bible study at church a man at my table put a label on his notebook that reads, âBiblical Leadership for Men.â The âfor Menâ leapt off the page at me. This Bible study isnât the ordinary, gender-neutralized Bible study. It is for men. Our pastor is determined to lead the men of our church to be leaders of our families. It was during our weekly menâs Bible study that I realized the scope of this need. We have forty to fifty men at a menâs Bible study in a church of 200.
I suggested the idea to my wife that men want God to be manly, and a pained look flickered across her face. She considered âmanlyâ a belittling adjective for God. But God repeatedly identifies himself as Father. I crave a hero, someone whom I can pattern my life after. Can God be this hero?