On the road together

Let’s face it, men, living God’s way doesn’t come naturally. That’s one of the great reasons God put us in the church: with the help of other believers we can become like Jesus more effectively. Accountability to another man is a great tool to help you in your desire to be more like the Savior.

In his book, “Locking Arms: Strength in Character through Friendships,” Stu Weber proposes four important aspects of Christian men’s accountability.

• Acceptance - we will choose to accept each other as we are with no conditions. Solomon wrote: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17). Paul encouraged the church at Rome, and us men today, to “accept one another as Christ as accepted you.” (Romans 15:7).

• Affirmation – we will commit to building each other up through genuine expression of interest and regular encouragement. In a world that beats us down every day wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend that intentionally encourages us?
1 Thessalonian 5:11 instructs us to “…encourage one another and build up each other…”

• Accountability – We will regularly check in with one another in key areas of our personal and spiritual growth. Solomon knew the value of accountability: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

• Authority – We will recognize and if necessary remind one another of God’s ultimate authority in our lives. Proverbs 27:5-6 reminds us: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Truth telling is indispensable in a friendship that under God’s authority.

As men, we are not meant to walk this path alone. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says:
“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:10).

Gauges

Ask anyone who knows about cars, and they’ll tell you it’s important to pay attention to your gauges. They tell you what’s going on under the hood, and can help diagnose problems with the car’s systems.

According to James 3, our tongue is a good spiritual gauge or meter. It can control our whole body and set the course for our life (James 3:6). As such, it can also serve as an indicator of how things are functioning “under the hood” in our lives. What is the direction our life is heading in? How close to Christ’s life are we walking? Our words are one indicator.

I’ve heard it said that “when you’re shaken, what comes out is what you’re really made of.” I’m not just talking about the words we use when calm, cool, and trying to put on a good face. I’m talking about what you say when someone cuts you off in traffic, or slanders you, or you don’t get your way. These are the moments when our faith is shown for what it is.

Christ-followers, let’s remember to keep a close eye on the “tongue gauge.” Our faith can never register on a higher scale than our words.

Hide it under a bushel?

One of my favorite passages describing our walk with Christ is found in 2 Corinthians 3.17-18, which says, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” We reflect the light of Jesus, like the moon mirrors the light of the sun. And the more like Jesus we are, the clearer we can reflect his character and light.

Pastor Brian mentioned yesterday that the Holy Spirit is like a light in us. Miraculously, when we trust in Jesus, the Light of the World, we become little lights that point to Jesus, the ultimate source of light. Hence the kids’ song, “This Little Light of Mine.” (My daughter has yet to bring this song home from Sunday School, but I know it will be fun when she does.) When the song poses the question, “Hide it under a bushel [basket]?” the obvious answer is a resounding “No!” And yet, for a variety of reasons, we do indeed try to hide or squelch that light.

What are some of these reasons? How can we hide the light of the Holy Spirit within us? One way is by continuing to habitually sin. The scripture above from 2 Corinthians indicates that as we become more and more like Jesus, we will more and more clearly reflect the light of Jesus. So if we remain in sin and unrighteousness, we will be “smudged mirrors” that are ineffective at showing a clear image. Now I’m not supporting the idea that anyone can reach “sinless perfection” before we reach heaven, but merely saying that every Christian ought to be putting to death specific sins in their lives, and putting on godly character traits, and reducing the actual amount of sin in their life as time goes on. Do this, and your Holy Spirit light will shine brightly in a world in need of light.

Another reason our light may be dim is being ashamed of our faith. In a world increasingly hostile to Christianity, it can be easy to retreat into a corner, never letting anyone know that we have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. But if our lives have indeed been changed, if we are a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and if God is indeed blessing us each day with new mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23), how can we keep it in? It’s like shaking up a bottle of Coke, then trying to just gently open up the lid without making a mess. God has blessed so abundantly that we ought to be bursting at the seams with praise (Ephesians 3:20-21). People of God, let’s not hide our relationship with Christ for fear of looking foolish. The Lord himself suffered great shame for our sake.

There is so much the Bible has to say about light, but the basic point is that we are light now in the Lord, and ought to live as people unafraid to live in the light, with our deeds exposed to the light of God’s truth. By obeying Jesus we shine his light into a dark world and offer a message of hope to the confused and hurting. Let’s go light it up, people!