So what’s wrong with this picture? A macho man is standing by the kitchen sink dressed in an apron. His arms up to his elbows are immersed in soapy dishwater as he vigorously scrubs the caked on food from a sauce pan. He is alone in the kitchen. His wife sits in the living room reading the latest issue of a gossip magazine. So what’s wrong with this picture?

What’s wrong is that it doesn’t fit the stereotype. There is something abnormal about the whole scene. It looks like some roles got reversed along the line and what should be feminine is masculine and what should be masculine has become feminine.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with a man doing the dishes or helping out around the kitchen, although some men wouldn’t be caught dead doing it. The point is many men have some preconceived notions about what is masculine and what is not. Aprons are good for a once in a blue moon situation but they should certainly not be the dress of the day. Certain circumstances and work situations are always associated with the feminine side of life and others with the masculine side.

Unfortunately, it is this kind of perception that confuses men when we consider spirituality. Not that these things are unimportant to men, but rarely do men speak about their own tenderness, gentleness, affection, kindness and love. These belong in the feminine domain and to tell a man that he should be any of those things, is like asking him to don that apron and do the dishes every day. Yet, part of one’s spiritual maturity, be that male or female, is to learn how to be more gentle, kinder, more tender and loving.

For a man to grow in spirit does not mean that he must get in touch with his feminine side. There would be something wrong in that picture. Growing in spirit means to become all that God intended you to be – to be whole and complete with qualities of strength and gentleness, determination and kindness, wisdom and love, dependability and tenderness. There’s nothing wrong with that picture of such a man.

If we look at the personality of Jesus we find that he was strong and kind-hearted, resolute and compassionate, wise and loving, trustworthy and tender. Now there was a man!

– Pastor Paul