Men & Christian Friendship - Crosswalk the Devotional - March 8

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Men & Christian Friendship: It Won't Just Happen on its Own by Shawn McEvoy A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.- [Proverbs 17:17]( NLT I own many books, but the ones I reference often I keep above my desk at work. One of these is a 1983 edition of David W. Smith's The Friendless American Male. It's a title that, sadly, has only grown more accurate in the last three decades, its content more applicable. Men, especially us hard-working, married-with-children types, are lacking in close biblical friendships. The reasons are varied and several, and it's not my intent in the space of a daily devotional to present or solve them all. Suffice to say that most men I talk with vouch for the lack of quality friendships in their life, even if they speak of different reasons for the condition. It's something I worry about, something I marvel at when I consider some of the differences between myself and my own father. For example, back when my father was climbing the ladder in the Tucson Real Estate industry and had children the ages mine are now, his weekends were all his own. Tennis in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday. Soaking up sun at the pool or doing yardwork in the afternoons. Watching sports or even working in the evenings. A quarterly fishing trip. Several of these activities involved his friends and acquaintances. It must be pointed out that he didn't know or serve the Lord at this time in his life, but it's also important to note that, to the best of my recollection, we kids weren't starved for his attention or affection. It still seemed like we were close, and had plenty of time together. So, I merely use my father as the model I was shown for what men were expected (allowed?) to do and be socially in the 1970s. At some point things changed, and yes, in most ways, for the better. Men began leaving their work at work. Being conscious about setting aside time for family activities. Reserving weekends for playing with their kids and going to soccer games rather than hitting the tennis court or the golf links or the lake. But technology, instead of saving us time, only seemed to create more ways in which we could spend it working. Where my father routinely met his buddies for a beverage after work, it's all I can do to rush home, swallow some food, and not leave my wife and kids feeling neglected before I log on for another couple hours of work and then an exhausted collapse into bed. Meeting another dude for a beer or coffee? Seriously, I don't want to laugh, but when? Even if I had a hole in my schedule, what makes me think the person I might invite (even if I knew someone well enough to want to spend time with him) would have time and desire, too? I was heavily involved in our Adult [Bible]( Fellowship at our former church for years, and I can count on one hand the times I did something outside of church with any of the men in that group. So, something is definitely missing. Somewhere, we went too far. I remember being single and having the privilege to work with two very close friends in our college admissions office, both of whom were newly married. Yet getting them to do anything social outside work was just about impossible. One of them wouldn't even go see a movie with me - one that I was offering to pay for - on the night his wife was busy studying for her nursing final exams. The other wouldn't even ask his wife whether he could put off lawn mowing for one more day to attend a minor league baseball game with a mutual friend who was in town for just one night. What was going on? Sure, I was tempted to blame their wives for not letting their husbands out to play, but even if there was truth to that notion, it wasn't the issue. The issue was, and is, that men simply are not bonding much these days... that the Bible speaks about friendship and male leadership and iron sharpening iron... and we are either purposefully choosing or unwittingly failing to make bonding and sharpening a priority. So what do we do? The only answer I have is: something. For me, that something arrives every March. That's when I and 13 of my friends from college and camp get together for a long weekend of fishing, good food, fantasy baseball drafting, NCAA tournament watching, and most importantly, fellowship. We call it "Draftmas" because it's very much like a holiday for us, and it centers around our fantasy baseball draft and league as a device to draw us all together, give us common footing. But to a man, most would tell you that the baseball is not the point. So what is? Let's refer back to The Friendless American Male: on page 52 Smith writes, "Close friendships don't just happen. They result from the application of principles recorded throughout the Word of God." He contrasts the kindness and affection that David and Jonathan shared with the "lack of sympathy" and "overt emotional harassment and condemnation" Job experienced with his pals Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad. The difference, Smith says, can be found throughout the Bible in these six principles of male friendship: God-Centered [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [7 'Churchy' Words That Christians Don't Understand]( John McKinley The terms that are distinctly religious but don’t seem to communicate any longer are a distinct category that causes me concern. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [10 Most Dangerous Apps That Parents Need to Know]( Jaime Jo Wright Did you know that one of the kid’s most popular apps gives complete strangers access to chat with them online? Were you aware that another often used app introduces your child to soft porn? And what if someone told you that “kid” profiles on streaming media apps are only as kid-proof as your child’s ignorance? One might not consider the dangers of such apps like Fortnite, Snapchat, and Netflix, but beware, they are worth considering. At the time this article is written, there are 78.3 million Fornite users, 186 million Snapchat users, and 151 million Netflix subscribers. The odds your children will remain unaffected by these and other apps, are highly unlikely. It’s not a new conversation, this “be careful what your kids download” subject. But often, parents request a list of the most dangerous apps so they can easily safeguard their child. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as a Top 10, and even the “safe” apps can become dangerous. So as parents, we need to be vigilant. As someone who has worked in the wireless industry for seventeen years, I recommend three important parental filters: 1. Know your child--do they communicate openly with you, or are they private? 2.You own the phone (or tablet)--just because it’s “theirs” doesn’t mean it’s off-limits. Have you set the expectation that you can look through their phone any time? 3. Just because it’s “Kid Safe”, doesn’t mean it is--have you researched the app? Your electronic devices can be fabulous additions to your family’s options for entertainment and education. But a major error many parents make is trusting someone else—namely the app developer—to rate the potential harm for your child. But, as a mom, not just someone who works in the industry, I’ve found that some of the safer apps are also important to not disregard. It’s time to learn about some potential dangers lurking in your child’s bedroom that would rival any boogeyman. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/vejaa [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2020 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](