Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
The Hollywood Image
When I was growing up, the male heroes portrayed by Hollywood were strong, independent, and didn’t seem to have too many friends other than their trusty steed or supernatural sidekick. From Han Solo in “Star Wars” to Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky” and from Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry” to Michael Knight in “Knight Rider”, these men were loners, self-sufficient, and portrayed intelligence and strength.
The Biblical Image
I can tell you that God did not create men to be alone and that isolation from other men in the Christian community is a tactic of the enemy. See, the enemy of our soul loves to divide and conquer. If he can get you out of community, if he can get you to bend to your pride of self-sufficient machoism, if he can whisper in your ear that “you don’t need anyone else, you can handle it,” he has you right where he wants you. How do I know this to be true? Well I have been there, tried it, and I have seen many men year after year try to go it alone and fail miserably.
Personally, I can tell you that if it wasn’t for other men speaking into my life at the right moment I may not still be walking with the Lord today. I appreciate the friendships I have made with other guys that can ask me the hard questions and I can answer them honestly with no fear of judgment or condemnation.
What You Can Do
So, Man of God, are you tired of doing the same thing over and over again wishing for a different result? Sound impossible? If you are ready to make progress in your walk with God, your next step could be joining a small group of men that get together to encourage one another and build relationships that lead into lifelong friendships. This past Saturday we had our Men’s BBQ where we got to hear from different men in GT church that have stepped out of their comfort zone to get plugged in and connected, and we heard about the life change that has happened in these men.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to experience GroupLink. GroupLink is our church’s event to help you make that first step to get connected to a life group. If you missed either of these events, it’s not too late for you to get into a group! Just stop by the HUB on a Sunday morning and fill out a life groups interest form.
I pray for all the men in our church to get connected so that we can stand firm together against the enemy’s tactics and devices. As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers and we need you to be part of the team.
Blessings!