23 Mar Why I’m Missing Men’s on Monday Night
I just wanted to share with you why I’m missing Men’s on Monday nights and how this shut down due to COVID-19 has impacted our ministry and me personally.
Besides the fact that we were just about to start a new study and I was looking forward to digging into the story of the Prodigal Son with the guys, the bigger piece I’m missing is the fellowship, connection, and prayer that takes place each week.
This time away has really made me realize how much I miss my church family and look forward to spending time with brothers and sisters in Christ, especially my brothers in men’s group. It makes me think of passages like Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42-47, and Acts 4:32-35.
Now I fully realize we can pray for one another, wherever we are. We can send each other encouraging texts and emails but those things just can’t replace getting together. There’s something uniquely special about gathering with other believers, worshipping together, discussing God’s Word, holding each other accountable, and praying for one another in person.
God has designed us to be in relationship with one another and especially other believers. We’re the family of Christ, which is His body. I’m realizing more and more that this Christian walk we’re on, as followers of Jesus, can’t be done on our own. There’s a reason God had Paul tell us in 1 Corinthians 12 that we are all members of one body. Many members functioning together to make for a healthy body with Christ as the Head.
Often, I think we miss this in our independent, self-sufficient, “I don’t need anybody” world. Sadly, in the church we’re missing out on the full blessing of what God had intended for His bride because we’re too busy looking at our own lives and miss the fact that we’re part of a body.
Maybe that’s why I’m missing Men’s on Monday nights – because it reminds me that this life isn’t all about me and my wants and needs. Scripture is clear and full of passages that teach us that we are to count others as more significant, not look to our own interests, die to self, live for Christ, bear one another’s burdens, pray, care, and love. I’ll be honest, that doesn’t come naturally to me. Just ask my family, they’ll tell you I can be an incredibly selfish person. Even when I am trying to put others first, if you could see my heart, you’d see that it is often offside and dark. That’s why I need others in my life, who can point me back to Christ and remind me that it’s not in my strength that I love others, but it’s the Holy Spirit in me.
Men’s is one of those areas where I feel safe to have others challenge me. Where I can hear about their struggles and encourage them. It’s where I realize that I don’t have to do this on my own and that I’m part of a bigger family, a body. A body that works together and when it is working together, brings the Head much glory. Men’s is something God is using in my life to sanctify me and refine me into the image of His Son. I need it and miss it because that is one of the areas where I see God working and moving in His church, for His glory, and our growth.
So, I want to encourage those of you who are missing your group to reach out and do your best to stay in contact in whatever way you can because we need each other.
If you’re not in a group or haven’t plugged in yet, can I strongly encourage you to do so, when they start back up. God created us to be in community together and to be a healthy, fully functioning body, and we can’t do that if parts of the body aren’t connected.
Church was never meant to be a solo event where you show up on a Sunday for an hour or so and then leave until the next Sunday. Church was meant to be a family, a body, working together, to care for one another, and bring glory to the Head.
So, until we can get back together as a family and our ministries can resume, I’m going to do my best to cling to Christ, pray for the guys in my group, remember God’s faithfulness in our Men’s ministry, and long for when we can worship the Head as His body – together!
Jason
