Ceremony should be one of the crown jewels for helping a boy become a man. In many cultures throughout history, a teenage boy has been taken through some type of ritual to mark his official passage into manhood. I believe one of the great tragedies of Western culture today is the absence of this type of ceremony.

What Does a Real Man Look Like?

Now make special note of the fact that while every male will have the physical features just discussed, few boys will ever become men in the biblical sense of the word. Biblically, being a man has to do with humility, courage, purity, faithfulness, selflessness, and self-control, as we saw in chapter 4.

But when does a boy become a man in our society? When he gets his driver’s license? Or joins the army? Maybe when he takes a woman to bed? Or when he can provide financially for himself? Ask your community to tell you when a boy becomes a man, and the only answer you will receive is an awful silence. You feel the ambiguity, don’t you? With no