Ideal male relationships

Rare is the man who has a male relationship marked by total honesty and transparency.

This was the summary of my chat with Dr. John Vawter last night. I had just finished reading his inspiring and instructive manuscript on male friendships. A work very well done.

As I pondered our conversation and opened my Bible this morning for my "quiet time," the perfect passage loomed as a monument to the issue John and I were addressing. Galatians 6 from the Amplified Bible reads:

BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.
2Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and [a]troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete [b]what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

How would you like to have a friend who will "tell you when you've got a booger" as described in these two verses. He is one who walks closely with God and confronts you in meekness, gentleness, keeping an eye on himself lest he fall into some attitude or behavior that is not Christ-like. You know very well that his best interest is to build you up and not be haphazardly critical. The Galatians passage continues with:

3For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. 4But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [[c]in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor.

5For every person will have to bear ([d]be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [[e]little] load [f][of oppressive faults].

What a rich man I am to have a handful of men with whom I have that kind of relationship. At the age of 71 I know there are still pockets of "less than godliness" that need to be cleaned out and replaced with Christ-like behavior and attitude.

Thank you, Steve, Greg, Jerry, John, Errol and Theresa (though not male). I am one blessed man in part because of you.