Who’s Your Band of Brothers? | Todd Isberner
Who’s Your Band of Brothers?
I’m a guy who, probably like you, prefers action movies. My favorites almost always seem to be battles of war based on true stories.
While I’m sure that I vicariously put myself in the movie as one of the diehard heroes willing to give my life for someone else, the bigger theme is that it takes a team to get it done.
You may have seen the acronym T-E-A-M, which stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Kind of corny, but very true. None of the missions in each of these stories would have been accomplished if it were just one man attempting to do it all by himself.
So it is with you, I mean us, that is!
You simply should not and cannot go through the battles of life without the support of other men. Guys who will have your back.
But the reality is, very few men are in that kind of band of brothers relationship with a group of men whom they can trust.
So, two questions for you:
1. Why is that?
2. Who’s got your back?
I think it is fair to say that in general men today are confused as to who they are, who they’re “supposed” to be, and how that plays out in everyday life. Unfortunately, without some role models, men are left trying to figure it all out on their own.
So where do we go to see how a band of brothers live it out? And how do you make certain you are in a relationship with men who will have your back?
First and foremost, you want to be with men who are spiritually-minded and intent on living out their faith as a true follower of Jesus. They are mission-minded, helping each other practice what they believe. And they are always on the lookout for others who need that same kind of help.
When they get together, they want to study the Bible and they want to learn what God has to say about how to live their lives. They pray together. They talk through their struggles, their questions, their fears, and they celebrate their victories. And yes, they have fun and genuinely enjoy one another’s company.
There is an authentic, unbreakable commitment to each other that assures each one that they are in this faith walk together and have each other’s back.
So who is your band of brothers? Do you have brothers whom you know for certain have your back?
If you don’t, make it your top priority. Because if you don’t have a band of brothers to walk it out with, you will fail. You cannot grow and you will not be effective in your faith without help from other men. Don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking you are strong enough and dedicated enough on your own.
The 12 disciples of Jesus needed each other. Even Jesus himself was not a maverick but lived it out with his band of brothers.
Men who love Jesus and want to follow Him simply need to be around other men who love Jesus.
I’ve seen too many men washout on the slippery slopes that challenge their faith. They start out strong but hold onto their independence, believing it is a sign of strength. Too afraid to show weakness, they end up becoming weaker by trying to go it alone.
In contrast, I have seen and experienced for myself the strength that comes when godly men are in a relationship with other godly men. They get stronger as they walk it out together, encouraging and challenging each other.
So, what is stopping you? Hopefully it’s not your pride. If, on the other hand, you’re just not sure how to plugin with other godly men, then let me give you a couple of suggestions.
First make certain you are plugged into a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching church. If your church does not have a program for disciplining men, then you have two choices:
1. Leave that church and find one that does.
2. Start a men’s group yourself with the blessing of the pastor and elders.
It can be as simple as picking a night of the week or an early morning and inviting men to gather to study the Bible and help each other walk out their faith.
While our men’s group has used a variety of resources over the years, our mainstay is simply the Bible. We take a book of the Bible and walk through a portion each week to find out what is on God’s heart and how we can apply His principles as followers of Jesus.
Another great way to bond with a band of brothers is to go to a men’s retreat or even a missions trip. Not long ago, I had the awesome privilege of joining a small group of men from our church’s “Extreme Team.” We backpacked into remote villages in the Himalayas to bring the gospel to the unreached.
It was one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced, physically, mentally and spiritually. But it was the kind of experience shared with other like-minded men that bonded us together as brothers who will follow Jesus anywhere.
There are no shortages of ideas and opportunities for you to take advantage of if you are committed to go on your spiritual journey with other men who have your back.
My hope and prayer for you is that you don’t delay for one day longer, but you commit to finding or forming a band of brothers and make it a priority in your life.
For a more in-depth look, get Todd Isberner’s new book “What Every Man Needs to Know: How to Master Faith, Family, Fitness and Finance” here: https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Man-Needs-Know/dp/0578429411/
Todd Isberner is a husband, father, business owner and author of “What Every Man Needs to Know”. As a result of his own life-altering conversion, Todd invested over 40 years learning to master the cornerstones of a man's life: faith, family, fitness and finances. His success is based on discovering the deeper meanings and impact each one of these has in life. A former business owner, professional media consultant and coach, today Todd invests his time mentoring other men along their journey to success. More at ToddIsberner.com