Man Up- Meet the Intruder at the Door

It seems the worst thing in the world someone can call you these days is a man. To many popular schools of thought, masculinity and all of its derivatives equate to everything that’s wrong with the world. As patently untrue as that is, the family system in its truest and purest form has always looked to the father to provide and protect the family. When someone tells you to “man up,” they’re telling you to be strong and do what’s necessary. It’s not always easy, and sometimes it requires sacrifice, but the burden of being born a man isn’t privilege, it’s the kind of strength that is impossible to put a value on.

Manliness is more than violence and crude humor, to man up is take part in a greater understanding of the family role and provide support and protection, even at the cost of discarding your own desires and emotions to do what is needed from you. Many great and famous men have preached the same sermon of what it means to be a Godly man, what it means to be a man of integrity, and what it means to be a man of action. Knowing when to have faith, how to be honest, and when to answer the call of danger are just some of the components of the infinitely complex routine of “manning up.”

So, when I tell you to man up and meet them at the door, I’m telling you to cast aside your fear, arm yourself, and greet whatever intruder is at kicking in your door to protect your family and your home. You are called to achieve greater things than simply apologizing on behalf of your gender. Initiative is one of the most important qualities you can develop. It goes hand in hand with a solid work ethic and an honest heart. If you keep in mind that the willingness to do what’s right will make getting the job done that much easier, then you’re halfway to where you need to be. The drive to protect and do what’s right isn’t an isolating series of attributes, it’s the simplest way of saying that no matter what happens, you’re a man worth following and being a leader.