Man of God: Pack Member (Pt. 1/3)
All my life I’ve idolized self-made men and cowboys. Guys who don’t need help, they’ve got it figured out. The desire to do it myself, shoulder the load, ride off into the sunset; victorious. A case of John Wayne syndrome. Many men I’ve talked with feel the same desire to not rely on others. Guys will scoff, (I’ve been guilty of this), after hearing another man say he took his wife’s car to a mechanic instead of fixing it himself. Movies and culture perpetuate this mentality amongst men. “You’re alone, pressure’s on, don’t screw it up.” It’s no surprise that this deadly mindset bleeds into how we handle our spiritual lives.
Canada, Eh?
Picture this, a small town in Canada, population 5,000. There’s one car dealership in the entire area, they happen to only sell one type of car: Chevy Simpala, Canadian Edition. Because of this, every man in this town drives the exact same car. Slowly but surely, the cars all start having the same mechanical issue, a cracked radiator seal, leaking coolant, and overheating engines. Most men have no idea what’s wrong, but are too ashamed to admit it, or ask for help. Some of them Google it, some just keep filling it with coolant, and some try to return it for another vehicle only to find the next car has the same issue. A few men figure out the issue and ways to remedy it but have no idea that every other man is struggling with the same thing. Therefore, every man remains silent about the same nagging, easily remedied problem. You may have caught on to the issue I’m driving at, and it has nothing to do with cars. Apply this same analogy to the issue of lust and pornography and it proves accurate. Men tend to struggle with the exact same issues in life, but due to pride, shame, and lack of community, we’re isolated, stuck in the same cycles, and easy targets for the enemy.
A Killing Machine
I’m a huge fan of wildlife documentaries, specifically the ones about predators. Lions are my favorite as they are one of the most fearsome creatures on Earth. The lion is a killing machine with its innate ability to detect and exploit weaknesses in their prey. Often targeting the weak, sickly, or injured animal, they’ll wait for them to separate from the herd before striking.
“… Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8. ESV)
If you’re a follower of Christ, you are in a battle, and you’ve got a powerful enemy who hates you and will do anything to destroy you. There’s no armistice with Satan and he’s not beholden to play fair. Simply put, you(alone) vs. Satan = you’re devoured.
You may think of yourself as a physical lion. A lone wolf. Perhaps it’s humiliating to consider yourself as prey. But the truth is, spiritually we are all sheep and no match for Satan on our own. We all fight the same enemy, and he tends to use similar strategies to defeat us. If you’re fighting alone, you’re incurring unnecessary damage. Ultimately, Jesus is our wise Mechanic and our fearless Shepherd. A connection with Jesus and time spent praying and reading scripture is the first and most important part of the equation. However, God did not intend for you to go through life alone. You’re meant to walk closely with Him and live in a community of other men walking the same direction. May you find a group of men who want to see you win.
