Through the lens of Man
In the beginning — a good world on purpose
The image of God in Genesis 1 is given to humanity together — male and female, both carrying it. That is worth sitting with, because almost every version of manhood on offer right now is built on a thinner foundation than that.
One tribe tells you to dominate, perform, conquer. Another tells you to shrink, apologize, get out of the way. Genesis 1 gives you neither. It gives you a commission. You are here to keep a garden — to cultivate, to protect, to bless what is under your care.
That is a bigger job than either tribe is offering you. And it is quieter than you might expect. Most of the men who did it well in Scripture did it through small, faithful acts, repeated over decades, mostly unseen.
One thing to do today: name one thing under your care — a wife, a kid, a friendship, a team, a room in your house — and ask yourself whether it is more alive because you are tending it, or less. Adjust accordingly.