“Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone … ‘”
Genesis 2:18 NLT
It is not good for men to be alone. When we think about this statement, the first thing that comes to mind is when God made a wife for Adam. Where Adam was lacking, Eve was his better half to make up for it. However, this concept of not being alone is not just tied to marriage. Though a godly spouse is important for many reasons, we know we need godly men in our lives!
Sure, we need our buddies to go golfing with, share hunting stories, throw a backyard barbeque, or whatever else we need to do to take a load off. But more importantly, we need godly men in our lives to motivate us and serve as accountability so we can better one another in our pursuit of God. This is a concept that people in the Bible took very seriously.
For example, we see that a man named Hushai listed among David’s officials was said to have served as “the king’s friend”. We also see that Solomon had an official named Zabud who was described as a priest and “the king’s friend”. In other words, both the worshipping warrior king after God’s heart and his son, the wisest king in Israel’s history, thought in order for them to lead the kingdom well, they not only needed gifted leaders, but they also needed friends. If these guys needed men of God at their back, then we know we need them too.
If you find yourself thinking, “Wow, I don’t have many godly friends,” or, “I can’t name one guy I know I’d trust to give me wisdom and counsel,” then now is a good time to show initiative. Proverbs 18:24 NKJV tells us, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” We can live this out by getting involved in our church, whether it’s through joining a small group or a Bible study, or just by volunteering. Additionally, opening up to our current friends and being vulnerable about our worries or struggles shows us as willing to be friends in a wise, beneficial way.
We are not called to do life alone. We have a spouse to connect with and help grow a family, mentors to receive wise instruction from, and fellow men of God to push us and support us. Now is the time join up and band together in authentic community.
Prayer
Jesus, not only have You taught the world much wisdom, but Your friendship with Your disciples is a great example of what we should all live up to. Thank You for the friends I already have, and help me find other men of God You know I need. Let me be a great example of what it means to live out being a true friend to others. It’s in Your name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.”
1 Chronicles 27:33 NLT
“Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king’s friend … “
1 Kings 4:5 NKJV
