The $68,000 Question Every Christian Father Must Answer

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…”

— Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

Your grandfather made $68,000 in today’s money as a factory worker and raised four kids on one income.

You make $68,000 with a degree and can barely afford rent.

But here’s what no one’s telling you:

The problem isn’t your paycheck—it’s what you’ve been programmed to believe defines you as a man.

The Great Deception of Modern Manhood

A recent study found that 86% of American men define manhood by being a “provider.”

Not by character. Not by leadership.

Just by the size of their paycheck.

And it’s killing them.

Men facing financial stress are 16.3 times more likely to consider suicide.

An entire generation of Christian men is drowning in shame because they can’t afford what their grandfathers bought on a Tuesday.

But here’s the truth your soft-serve pastor won’t say:

Your grandfather wasn’t more of a man because he made more money.

He was more of a man because he knew he was a king under The King.

The Russian Orthodox Invasion of American Masculinity

While American churches are turning men into therapy patients…

Thousands of young men are converting to Russian Orthodoxy—chasing “absurd levels of manliness” through ancient rituals, beards, and liturgies.

Why?

Because modern Christianity sold them a neutered gospel and called it discipleship.

They’re not wrong for running.

But here’s what they’re missing—and what you need to understand:

Biblical masculinity isn’t about being Russian Orthodox or Southern Baptist.

It’s about being a king with dominion—not just a provider with a paycheck.

Dominion vs. Provision: The Real Mandate

“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…”

— Genesis 1:28 (KJV)

God didn’t say, “Get a job and try to keep up.”

He said: Subdue. Replenish. Rule.

Provision is part of it.

But dominion is the assignment.

Your grandfather got it.

He didn’t work just to pay bills—he worked to build a legacy.

He didn’t see himself as a wallet.

He saw himself as a king expanding territory.

Today, too many Christian men see manhood as:

• Paycheck size

• Career title

• House square footage

That’s not biblical. That’s consumerism in church clothes.

What Real Provision Looks Like

“But if any provide not for his own…he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

— 1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV)

Yes, men are called to provide.

But provision is stewardship, not performance.

I haul trash at 4 AM.

We raised five kids in a three-bedroom home.

I couldn’t give them everything they wanted—

but they saw their father serve with grit, conviction, and faith.

That’s provision.

That’s biblical manhood.

Not salary.

Sacrifice.

The Kingdom Alternative

After 22 years of marriage and raising warriors in a collapsing culture, here’s what I’ve learned:

Real biblical masculinity is about building kingdoms—not managing poverty.

It looks like:

✅ Spiritual leadership without a seminary degree

✅ Physical strength from discipline, not aesthetics

✅ Emotional stability rooted in truth, not therapy

✅ Financial wisdom that builds legacy, not just lifestyle

✅ Generational impact that lasts longer than your job

Your grandfather could do this because he knew:

A man’s worth is his calling, not his income.

The $68,000 Question

So here’s your decision:

Will you define your manhood by your paycheck—or by your dominion?

Will you raise sons to chase comfort and clout—

or train them as kings to rule the territory God gives?

Will you run to the aesthetics of Orthodoxy—

or reclaim biblical masculinity right where you are?

This isn’t about denominations.

This isn’t about income brackets.

This is about identity.

Until Christian men understand that they are image-bearers of God, called to dominion—

we’ll keep losing them to Orthodoxy, secular influencers, and suicide stats.

Your Move, Kings

Are you building a kingdom?

Or just managing expenses?

Let me know in the comments.

And if you’re tired of managing your masculinity crisis instead of leading through it…

I’m building something for men like you.

Stay tuned.