For the past several years, I have been going to the gym on a fairly inconsistent basis. Recently, I have been going more often, but that’s beside the point. When I first started working out I thought the best thing to do was to put as many weights as possible on the barbell and then try to lift it all by myself. The goal, at least for me, was to lift it maybe just one time, just so that I didn’t look like a wimp. I didn’t need a spotter, and I definitely wasn’t going to try a smaller amount of weights. I wanted people to think I was strong. I wanted to show off. What I didn’t realize is doing what I was doing was not healthy at all, but is actually a great way to tear a pectoral muscle which would probably make me scream like a girl.
I think as men, we like to pretend we are stronger, smarter, and better than we actually are. Think about it. How many of us stop and ask for directions? A recent study stated that men, on average waste 276 miles per year wandering around aimlessly because they refuse to ask for directions, which comes out to about $3,000 worth of gas in a lifetime! Wow!
As men, we have this feeling that if we ask for help that it we are weak. We want to be independent and prove to the world that we can handle anything. There is one problem with that thought, however; we were not meant to be alone. Peter Wilson talked Wednesday night about Genesis 2. He mentioned that in the creation story, God creates and then declares it good. But, when He gets to man, God realizes that man should not be alone, and He creates Eve. Peter mentioned that this story goes beyond marriage. We were not meant to go through life alone. God wants us to be in community with one another. That is why Manpower Team is so important. When we as men come together, and allow ourselves to be open and honest with one another, we are doing exactly what God would want us to do. God does not want you to try and walk through this life alone. There are too many struggles and problems in this world for you to ever get through by yourself.
The Manpower Team verse is II Timothy 1:7, which states “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” God did not create us to live in fear. We can’t be afraid to share our struggles with others, because if we do, then it is so much more difficult to heal. Manpower Team is a group of men under construction: Constantly being developed by God. This only works in communion with others.
I don’t know what you might be going through right now. Maybe you are struggling financially, spiritually, or sexually. Know that you are not alone. Satan wants you to think that you are the only one going through this. He wants you to feel isolated. Don’t listen to his lies. There are others struggling right along side you, and when we work together, our chances of success are far greater. Seek help, and you will find it here. We are Manpower Team, and we are here to love and heal those in need.