The Men We Need
Guest: Brant Hansen
Brant Hansen is a syndicated radio host (over 200 stations), an advocate for healing children with correctible disabilities through Project Cure, and the author of numerous books including Unoffendable, Blessed Are the Misfits, The Truth About Us, The Men We Need, and The Young Men We Need. In addition to speaking on the subject of “The Men We Need”, he frequently speaks at churches, conferences, and corporations on the topics of forgiveness, faith, the autism spectrum, and the kingdom of God. Brant is also a musician and occasional stand-up comedian. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in South Florida.
I (Wendell Morton)have a library of books written to men, about men, how to reach men, etc: Brant Hansen’s book The Men We Need will be a classic book for men, men’s leaders, and pastors, for the foreseeable future. It should be in seminaries, bible colleges, and in every church in America…
What was the reason you wrote this book? Hansen says: We have a major problem and that is that guys have no clue what masculinity is. We have some vague sense, but we do not have a coherent, beautiful, specific vision. We may throw around the term “man up”, but other than picking yourself up by your bootstraps, be a Rambo, or some other outdoorsy, sports dude, what does it mean? This cannot be the essence of masculinity as many men do not fit that model and was it what God had commissioned for Adam.
Your opening section is titled: Keeper of the Garden: What do you mean by this and what does it involve? From the very beginning, even before sin, God had given Adam the job of keeping the garden… ultimately God had given man (us) the job of being responsible. There are humans inside your home, outside your window, and in your workplace who may come to harm (in the world and the world to come) because you are not taking the responsibility God had given you.
Brant lists Six Decisions that we need to make:
- Forsake the Fake and Relish the Real – the fake is the dopamine hits that come from being involved in many things that are not real, or not core to the responsibility that God has given to us.
- Protect the Vulnerable – part of Adam’s was to protect the vulnerable, which was Eve, the animals, and plants in the Garden. We see how that worked out.
- Be ambitious about the Right Things – ambition is a very good quality. However, we might be pulled into ambition for things that are not core to which God has called us.
- Make Women and Children Feel Safe – nothing is more appealing than a man who is committed to always protecting his family. That is of course physical, but also it is emotional, relational, and spiritual.
- Choose Today who you will become tomorrow – this is anti-cultural. Who we are tomorrow is what we paid attention to today. Be ambitious and focus attitudes, and actions, and focus on who God has called you to be tomorrow.
- Take Responsibility for your spiritual life – no one else is responsible for your relationship with God other than you. Know that God loves you and will do things for you. No one else is accountable before God for your spiritual life.
ask yourself:
- What is your concept of masculinity? Where did it come from?
- Where do you need to align your concept of masculinity with Biblical teaching?
- Who can come around to help you with areas in which you need to become accountable?
To order any of his books go to Amazon and type in Books by Brant Hansen.
https://mensministrycatalyst.org/podcasts/
