Men Of Valor

A Call To Arms

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.”

Ephesians 6:10-13

Contemplation Posts

Scripture gives us ample evidence of the need to have several godly men with whom we can be brutally frank and honest about our lives. They need to know our weaknesses and shortcomings so that they can pray with insight. Jesus had His inner circle of Peter, James, and John with whom He sought solace as He prayed in the Garden. Unlike Jesus, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, NRSV), we are jars of clay, weak and lacking wisdom. God will not give any of us “all wisdom.” If He did, we would become arrogant, lacking in humility or compassion in our interactions with other believers. He wants us to be dependent on each other.

“Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)

The enemy never attacks us head-on at a place of strength. He comes at us from a place of vulnerability; our “blind side”. This is why each of us needs mighty men around us.

Scripture exhorts us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2). However, several verses later we are told, “For all must carry their own loads” (Galatians 6:5). How is this not a contradiction?

The word translated as “burden” in 6:2 is the Greek word baros; defined as “a weight, anything pressing on one physically, or spiritually, or that makes a demand on one’s resources” (Vine’s Dictionary). The word translated as “load” in 6:5 is the Greek word phortion; defined as “something carried” (Vine’s). To put it in modern-day terms: in combat, every man has his own pack (load) that he carries. A machine gunner carries his own pack plus the machine gun (burden). Each squad member also has his own pack but will carry boxes of machine-gun ammo to keep the machine-gunner from being overly burdened. We each have our own pack (load), and God gives us the strength to carry it. But the burdens are never meant to be carried alone. God will not give me the strength for that, but He will give me godly men to come to my aid if I will blow the trumpet!

The only thing that will keep us from blowing the trumpet is pride, and Scripture tells us that:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Satan wants us to think we can manage things on our own, but that will lead to spiritual destruction. Today, each of us can say “I’m good” because we have mighty men who will come when we sound the trumpet.

“And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

How about you?

What say ye, Man of Valor?

(Adapted from Men of Valor Devotional by Ron Helle, 22 July 2022)

Reaching, connecting, growing, and healing strong men of God to be loving leaders at home, church, on the job, and in the community.

Reaching: Informing other men of the existence of the Source Men of Valor (SMoV) to bring awareness of the need for contact with other Godly men. Inviting individual men to visit a group meeting with the intention or hope of them joining us.

Connecting: Developing healthy and close relationships with each man of the group.

Growing: Helping each man to mature in their spiritual and social development through healthy and close relationships within the group.

Healing: Providing a resource for spiritual, emotional, or social healing through compassion, guidance, and encouragement when an individual has experienced loss, injury, distress, or hurt

To be a fellowship of men, who faithfully worship and serve God; and encourage, support, and minister to one another’s personal and spiritual needs.

Encourage: To inspire and strengthen the practice of positive behaviors. (Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Support: To advise and provide direct assistance in times of need; whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual. (James 5:19-20, Acts 20:35)

Minister: To aid and care for another who is suffering or in need. (Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Peter 4:10)

Trust in God: Trusting God means being wholeheartedly confident in Him and His character. It means knowing He will do what He says He will do and that He’ll never act contrary to His character as disclosed in Scripture. Trust in God is faith put into action through obedience to Him and His Word. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 40:4, Titus 3:8)

Selfless Love: A selfless act of love does not feel like a debt. A selfless act of love is directed toward another person, regardless of their perceived faults or shortcomings. It is always available and unbound by any contract. This kind of love never asks for anything in return, and instead patiently nurtures a person over time, regardless of their perceived faults or shortcomings. A selfless act of love is the greatest form of love there is. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Romans 12:9-10, John 15:13)

Prayer: Prayer is the power in our everyday lives. Through prayer, we seek God’s forgiveness, help, blessings, and guidance for the future of ourselves, our brothers, and our community. We also offer prayers of praise for who He is and thank Him for his grace, mercy, and abundant gifts. Psalm 51, Psalm 86, Hebrews 13:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Grace: Grace is an essential part of God’s loving character. It’s the unmerited favor of God to us. Not because we deserve it or did enough good works; but instead, because God is good. Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:11-12, Romans 11:5-6

Mercy: Mercy is God extending patience to those who deserve to be punished. Mercy is not something God owes to us – by definition mercy cannot be owed – but is something God extends in loving kindness to those who do not deserve it. Titus 3:4-5, James 2:12-13, Matthew 6:14-15

Compassion: The word compassion derives from Latin and means “to suffer together.” Compassion involves feeling or recognizing another person’s distress and wanting to take steps to help relieve their suffering. Compassion gets involved. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 1 Peter 3:8, Galatians 6:1-2

Thankfulness: Thankfulness can also be called gratitude or appreciation. It is a positive, other-focused emotion that generally involves positive feelings about God or another person’s actions, but it might just be for God’s or the other person’s existence. Psalm 7:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 2 Corinthians 9:11-12

Humility: Humility is freedom from pride and arrogance. It has nothing to do with weakness nor does it mean being self-effacing or submissive. It is not a lack of ambition. Humility is an attitude of modesty that comes from a realistic understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, and our place in the larger order of things. It entails not taking our desires, successes, or failings too seriously. (Psalm 25:9, Philippians 2:3, Proverbs 12:15)

Service: To serve means to perform duties for or assist another with NO intent for self-gratification. Service is an important part of our eternal progression. We grow by serving others and by allowing others to serve us. (Ephesians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 4:10)

Confidentiality: Information you share with someone is privileged and should not be discussed with anyone else. (Proverbs 11:13, Matthew 18:15, 1 Timothy 5:13)

Honesty: Honesty is a facet of moral character that displays positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct. It includes the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere. (Proverbs 6:16-19, 2 Corinthians 8:20-21, 1 Peter 3:10-12)

Openness: Openness is receptivity to new ideas, different concepts and opinions, values, behaviors, cultures, peoples, environments, experiences, etc. Those ideas and things that are different from the familiar, conventional, or traditional. (Proverbs 3:13, Matthew 13:51-52)

Openness is being accessible or available, and unconcealed in an unreserved, candid, or frank manner. It involves approachability, honesty, and communication. (Ephesians 4:25-29, Proverbs 28:13)

Courage: Courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that gives one strength, power, or resolve to face danger, fear, or adversities with self-possession, confidence, and resolution. Moral or spiritual courage is what motivates us to do the right thing, to right a wrong, to take a stand for some moral principle or spiritual value despite the personal price or contrary public opinion. Paradoxically, it can be a courageous and encouraging act to confess our vulnerability, sensitivity, anxiety, or despair to others. (Psalm 56:3-4, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Timothy 1:7)

Perseverance: The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship, adversity, or stress. (Hebrews 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, James 1:4)

Reliability: Personal reliability consists of integrity, trust, competence, and authenticity. Reliable people do what they say. Reliable people use discretion when they make commitments because they consider their commitments as personal promises to others. (Numbers 30:2, Matthew 5:34-37, James 5:12)

• Provide men a fellowship where they can be vulnerable, open, and honest.
• Build strong friendships, and foster integrity among them.
• Talk about real-life challenges and offer support.
• Encourage men to be strong spiritual leaders at home and in the community.

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