From Left to Right, Dipper and one of the “Manataur” from the episode, “Dipper vs. Manliness” on “Gravity Falls”
Several months have passed and it’s almost a year now since the “Gravity Falls” episode, “Dipper vs.Manliness” aired on Friday night, July 20th, 2012.
I related to Dipper’s struggle in more ways than I actually thought when I first wrote about this episode.
In the episode, Dipper Pines’ masculinity was challenged by his uncle and sister. He went into the woods to seek a place to get away and get the answer. He was initiated by a crew of others who “looked” like men. He was given a task or a cause. He realized in the midst of the “cause” that there were just certain things he couldn’t do, and in spite of it all, he made the right choice because of the good that was in his heart.
I learned that most boys that are in Dipper’s situation simply want to know, “do I have what it takes!” There are men even now who ask that question because there’s a place in their life that’s stuck in that place, struggling to use their job, career, family, sex, addictions or other things to try and answer that big question, “do I have what it takes!”
What I found out in my journey on discovering real, Biblical Manhood, is that I missed out on so much in my childhood. I never really dealt with the part of my life that felt like a kid who was never given a strong light to a situation.
This journey, and that episode of “Gravity Falls,” and more importantly what Jesus has been doing in my heart, was the best thing to ever happen to me!
So what is a man then!? When I sought out answers to this question, more popped up:
“Is it mental, is it physical, what’s the secret!?” – Dipper Pines
I’ll be honest, I’m having a hard time with the idea of giving a one sentence answer. The answer is so complex, and yet, so simple.
I can tell you that what I discovered is that a man is someone whose love for Jesus and for God is lived out and shared out. A man is strong, courageous and obedient to the will of God and His Word. He understands His strength and his masculinity is not fully defined by the physical, but, by a direct connection to the Lord.
Certainly there are multiple scriptures to back this up. I can provide this on a later article.
My identity is no longer wrapped around an “idea” of what a man is, but the Biblical truth…the fact that I’m a leader, capable and expected to take responsibility and given strength that’s more than physical, but from God Himself.
Because of this, and much more, I am a man!
Look Forward To Part 2: Applying the Lessons From The Manhood Journey
