We were meant to live life together. God created us to live in relationship with one another. I'm talking close relationships. I'd say intimate relationships, but since I'm talking to guys here we'll steer clear of that word. Instead, I'll use the terms transparent and accountable relationships. Lets face it, as men, we don't always place a priority on this. Sure, we get together and do guy stuff from time to time, but we don't like going deep with one another. We don't want to dig into some other guy's garbage and we sure don't invite them to dig through ours.
As a result, we keep everyone at arms length and we isolate ourselves from true healthy relationships. Perhaps, its pride. Perhaps, its fear. Actually, I think its a combination of both. We're ashamed of some of the things we struggle with and fear what others will think if we go public with it. It's so much easier to put on our "I've got everything together mask" than to spill our guts out to someone who will potentially reject us. The tragedy with this way of life is that it hinders us from becoming the men God designed us to be.
I've seen it more times than I can count. Men who are limited because of their insistence at living guarded lives. Men who are unwilling to cultivate the kind of relationship with other men that require transparency and accountability. If you are one of those men, make a decision to change. Determine to surround yourself with a group of men you can trust. We all need 2 or more men we consider close. Friends who know each other inside and out. A band of brothers who aren't afraid to go deep with one another. Guys who can have a great time together but don't shy away from getting real with one another. There is safety in a group like that.
There are countless men who have struggles that they will carry to the grave simply because they don't have that support group to help them gain victory over those things. Men hooked on porn, alcohol, or drugs. Men who struggle with anger management or low self-esteem. Men who are chronically dissatisfied with life. Men who are stressed out, burned out, and wiped out. The list can go on forever. There are those who will choose to take on those battles alone and the majority will fall short of victory in those battles.
Proverbs 11:14 tells us that "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Don't spend your life being a lone ranger. Develop a safety net of men around you. A group that will accept you the way you are but love you too much to allow you to stay the way you are. That's true friendship.
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