NOTE: Portions of this post have appeared previously on this blog. They are repeated due to their importance in our current discussion.
We are discussing tools to assist us in maintaining moral purity. Obviously, as we discussed last week, the place to start is to draw near to God. But there are also some other practical suggestions. One is to include someone else on the journey to help.
I have a character trait that some may regard as weakness for a man, but I choose to see it as a strength. If I have a task to perform, I prefer to have someone work with me. This is especially true if it involves any uncertainty on my part as to how best to complete it or if it is a task I do not enjoy doing. When my yard is full of leaves, I am much more motivated to rake them up if Cindy is out there with me. I have asked a buddy to help with a project at home that neither of us have ever done, but I feel there is safety in numbers.
Here is the reason I choose to see this as a strength in my character. God tells us this is how he designed us to be most efficient. In a perfect world at creation, before sin entered our existence, we read in Genesis 2:18, “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” It was never God’s intent that we go it alone.
Here is the problem, we live in a culture that presents “real men” as those who are independent and can tackle any obstacle through their manliness. Asking for help has become a sign of weakness.
Let me be clear. God created men with strength and wisdom and a fierceness that allows them to face danger and challenges and be victorious. We are designed to stand in the gap and protect those we love. These two God inspired characteristics are not mutually exclusive. I can maintain my fierceness and love of adventure and still allow another to walk beside me in the battle. In his God-given wisdom, Solomon describes it in Proverbs 27:17, As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.
Of all the situations this life places us in, our need for support is greatest in our fight for moral purity. The reason for this is simple, it is the area of our life we will face the greatest opposition. Many of the challenges we encounter in our jobs, health, family, etc., can be traced back to one source, the attacks of Satan. God will fight this battle for us when we allow him too, but as we go through it, it is good to have someone to watch our back, hold us accountable, and celebrate our victories.
Moses had Joshua, David had Johnathan, Elijah had Elisha, Paul had Timothy, even Jesus chose 12 men with whom to share life and ministry. God clearly sees the value in walking together.
Having another man with whom you can be totally honest about what you are struggling with can be a major encouragement. He can relate to the temptations and offer mutual encouragement in avoiding trouble. If you choose the right person, he will not judge your temptations because he knows his own. I have such a friend in my life.
If you don’t have someone in your life who is being sharpened by you and is in turn, sharpening you, let me challenge you to fill that void. Ask God to show you to this person. Be prepared for some trial and error, just because you like someone does not mean they are the right fit. Be willing to open your life far enough to let someone else in. And then enjoy the strength and encouragement that comes through walking together.