I have a burning desire to see men rise up and seek strong biblical relationships with other men. The church is in desperate need of authentic relationships and transparency within the community of believer’s. A few days ago I reconnected with an old friend from my home church in Amarillo. We have known each other 25+ years and I have not spoke to him in about 7 years. He informed me that he is a recovering alcoholic. The one thing he said that really impacted me was that the church needs to become the comfort and refuge for people to turn to when they are experiencing deep despair. Clearly people are turning to everything but the church to deal with unresolved issues in their life. According to a recent Gallup poll 62 % of the American population drinks regularly. According to some studies 50% of men have viewed pornography in the last month. What we need in the church is Men who will rise up and not be afraid to admit they need help in the darkest hidden places of their soul.
God wants us to go beyond superficial conversations and begin 
sharpening one another as we deal with real life needs and struggles. The church needs to be a hospital for the sick so the sick will NOT look for temporary relief elsewhere. The world is looking for answers, if we do not share with them the love and restoration of the cross of Jesus Christ, they will search for it in a bottle, computer screen, extramarital relationship, pleasure or pursuit of material possessions…. The church needs to step up and become what God intended it to be, a place of restoration, hope, instruction, encouragement, worship of the ONE true GOD and helping people deal with tough issues of life.
- Accept anyone who is searching & seeking (no matter what they look like, or what they have done)
- Do not be afraid to confront in love a brother or sister who is drifting away from God—we are brothers & sisters in Christ
- If you are in ministry don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty—real ministry takes place in the trenches.
- Make sure you have a support system (people who love you and will stand beside you)
- Admit when you fail and blow it—Get back up and press on!
The one person who is consistent and stays with you if you are a believer is Jesus Christ. He promised to never leave you or forsake you. He is with you every step of the way, walk in His ways and trust HIM!
Great piece, Jody. We have got to be accountable to someone we know and trust to let us, basically, confess to and someone who will ask us the tough questions when they need to be asked. The men of our church need to do this, not soon, but now. The sooner we begin to trust one another we can grow and help others grow as well. If we, as men, cannot do this how do we expect our children and grandchildren and spouses to. We have got to take the lead and we can bring our church together for His glory, unified and full of the Holy Spirit and be the beacon to our community that we need to be.
By: Ron Grimes on May 6, 2009
at 12:57 pm
Great devotional! Great advice! Great wisdom!
What you say is so true, but we often fail, as men, to follow this advice in the bible.
By: Earl on May 6, 2009
at 12:59 pm
I think that after tonight, our youth group is going to open up a lot and hopefully we can fulfill the things you mentioned.
By: Kelsey on May 6, 2009
at 2:40 pm
Hi Jody: I often use the quote “As Iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another” when I counsel men about their relationships. You may like to review the book “Building Better Relationships – A Guidebook for Men.” My intent in writing it was to help men prepare themselves to be a good partner, at home, at work, and in the community. You can preiview it on amazon.com; just enter “Jim Swaniger” and up it will come. I welcome your comments.
By: betterelationship on May 13, 2009
at 4:35 pm