From a young age, many boys are taught that emotions are weaknesses. "Man up," they're told. Crying is mocked, vulnerability is punished, and the only acceptable emotion is anger. For many, these messages are reinforced by fathers who were absent, distant, or themselves emotionally wounded.
The mask of toughness becomes their armor. Behind it are deep wounds—of abandonment, rejection, abuse, or simply not being seen. The streets offer a different kind of education: show no fear, trust no one, and hit first. So boys adapt. They become the fighter, the womanizer, the troublemaker. But beneath the bravado is often a scared, confused soul, longing for love but unsure how to receive or give it.
God sees behind the mask. He saw David, the overlooked shepherd, and called him a king. He saw Gideon, hiding in fear, and called him a mighty warrior. He sees the "bad boys" not as society labels them, but as sons—sons worth redeeming.
This chapter explores how God begins to peel back the layers. It's not instant. He gently unmasks us, not to shame us, but to heal us.