We Need Others

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

James 5:16

MARK WAS TERRIFIED. For as long as he could remember, he had pretended to have it all together and had hidden his secrets behind a mask of spiritual activity: teaching Sunday school, leading a men’s Bible study, and serving as a deacon. But his perfectionism had worn him out, and he was tired of the facade. Today he was going to come clean and tell his small group about his struggle with pornography and his recent emotional affair.

Instead of rejecting him or throwing him out of the group as he had feared they might, each man embraced him and told him how much they respected his courage. Mark was shocked as the other men began to open up about their own struggles and failures. It quickly turned into one of the most intimate and meaningful meetings they had experienced in years.

Like Mark, we often strive to be the kind of men who are self-sufficient and do not need the help of others, including God. Like Mark, we pretend to be strong. But this individualism has severe consequences. We are left to face our fears and insecurities alone. We were not designed to live isolated, self-sufficient lives. We need each other and were designed for authentic community.

In what ways are you hiding behind a mask of spiritual activity? Are you experiencing real community with other men?

BOTTOM LINE

God wants to bring us to a place where we can accept our need for others.

Moment of Strength: Proverbs 15:22