I have found there are four stages in the decline of masculinity.
The first two:
1. Passivity.
This is where many Christian men are today. They are good people, but they abdicate their responsibilities and roles. They obey the “rules” as best they can: they go to church on most Sundays and go to a Bible study sometimes. Their lives are typified not by action but by reaction. They don’t work to improve the lives of those around them. A passive man doesn’t get involved.
2. Macho Man.
A macho man or a male chauvinist is someone who is insecure in his masculinity. He is constantly looking for ways to show or tell about his manliness. Of him the old cliche is true: “The older I get, the better I was.” He is a man of action but only action that comes from his pride. Say something offensive to the person next to him and he’ll laugh. Say it to him and he’ll punch you or insult you back. He is jealous for a name, but it isn’t God’s or even those in his family (unless his pride is at stake). He is jealous for his own name because he worships himself.
For further reading, check out Rise of the Servant Kings by Promise Keepers Chairman Ken Harrison. To download a free chapter, visit riseoftheservantkings.org. (All profits from sales of Rise of the Servant Kings are donated to support Promise Keepers.)