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In my USA TODAY and Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Top 25 bestseller, DIALED IN: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God , I argue that masculinity is not toxic. Instead, it is a gift to a world that has men broken by toxic males masquerading as men. Biblical masculinity is a quality and attribute—a gift from God to the world. Let me explain it this way: “… male and female, He created them” (Genesis 1:27, NASB). Males are born. Men are made. Males genetically. Men habitually. Male in form. Man in function. Males are the problem. Men are the solution. A male and a man are genetically identical but dissimilar in virtually every other area. When a male fails, a man is usually com pelled to replace him. Just as males and men are dissimilar, men and women are vastly different, and we should, as a society, celebrate those differences instead of encouraging a homogenous attitude toward our two genders—male and female. As a cul ture, we have spent decades encouraging women to be strong and capable, which I love. Our world needs strong women. However, we have simultaneously told men that they are toxic, useless, and unnecessary. Women do not need men. Right? Wrong. Tragically, the irony is that none of the statistics actually support these opinions. Fatherless families are four times more likely to live in poverty. Fatherless children are more likely to abuse drugs. Seventy percent of children in juvenile facilities come from fatherless homes. And the absence of a father is a consistent predictor of violent behavior. 3 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nuclear family has declined since at least 2000, when 40% of children were not expected to live with both parents through age 18. In 2010, that number increased to 44%. And 48% as of 2020! 4 The American family is in crisis. No, it is under attack, a direct assault against biblical masculinity. Not only is this false narrative untrue, but its consequences for the family are also devastating.

IN ADDICTION AND RECOVERY

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christian counseling today VOL. 28 NO. 1