"Play the Man" (Mark Batterson)

TITLE: Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be
AUTHOR: Mark Batterson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017, (224 pages).

There was a time in which people were talking about what it means to be a man. Not anymore. Now, many are more interested in pandering to cultural expectations, elevating human rights, and blurring the lines between tradition sexuality. With more confusing philosophies and conflicting opinions about gender matters, the meaning of manhood, womanhood, or other variants of sexuality no longer commands the same level of interest as before. For author and pastor Mark Batterson, he fears that modern culture has not only forgotten what it means to be a man, it has lost it. It has become  a literal 'no man's land' where people do not know who they are anymore. Batterson presses the cultural reset button to go back to the Bible. Using powerful stories of the early century martyrs as a springboard toward spiritual conviction and biblical principles, he advocates the seven virtues of true manhood. Men as fathers are to disciple their children, not the youth pastors. They are not merely to pile up "resume virtues" just to make a living. Instead, they are called to leave behind "eulogy virtues" to make a life, starting with their own. True manhood wins the heart of God. Batterson shows the way with the seven virtues. First, it is about "tough love." They are tough on bullies and injustice, but soft when it comes to compassion and care for the vulnerable. They take up the cross and will stand up for the truth. Real man do cry. The second virtue is about "childlike wonder" in which he deals with the root meaning of the Greek word for "disciple" which is a learner. Childlikeness means having a curious capacity to learn; being wowed by the beauty and wonder of God; and to recognize one is small in a very large world. The third virtue of a man is "will power" in which one learns to take responsibility for his actions. He also responds in righteous living and able to resist temptations. He keeps his integrity intact. The fourth virtue is "raw passion" where one is urged not to be spectators but participants in life. He walks in faith instead of dwelling in doubt. He fights apathy. He resists lust. He is more focused on meeting his wife's needs rather than self. Fifth, a real man would display "true grit" who does not shy away from challenges but to persevere with a belief at conquering himself, heart, mind, and soul. He is resilient and does not easily settle.  The sixth virtue is "clear vision" where he has a specific focus and vision about what he want to do in life. He takes regular retreats to take stock of his life and lives forward in a balanced manner. Finally, there is the virtue of "moral courage," something that is most needed in our troubled times. He speaks out against evil. He models himself for the young to see. He is bold to confess sins and thrives in the kingdom.


The second part of the book is a personal challenge from the author as a father to his son in making a discipleship covenant. If Part One of the book is theory, Part Two could very well be how the author personally implements what he has written. It is a well-written out lists of covenants for both father and son, each with physical, intellectual, and spiritual challenges. Readers are then invited to write their own, though they could write their own, with Batterson's model as a template. He confesses that things do not often go ahead as planned. It may not even seem to make any difference. I applaud the effort as I think it is better tried than never. We may choose to adapt the implementation accordingly, but the first thing is the belief that it is something worth doing. I appreciate how Batterson modifies a familiar Gandhi quote. He writes with a warning that if we don't step up to our calling, we are in danger of the following:

"We want joy without sacrifice.
We want character without suffering.
We want success without failure.
We want gain without pain.
We want a testimony without the test.
We want it all, without going all in."

This book is a needed reminder for us to battle the times and not tamely accept what the cultural climate is telling us. The way I would recommend is to follow Batterson's arguments along, and listen in to his wisdom. There is a silent refrain that echoes clearly throughout the book. It has to do with William Wallace's famous challenge in the movie Braveheart: "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." Do we dare to take up the challenge? Be the man. If unsure, start with this book. I strongly recommend this book for fathers and sons.

Mark Batterson is lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. He has previously written the popular "The Circle Maker."

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.