The Men of Iron Minute
by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation
Don’t Walk Away
With a dose of naivete, Jack’s faith was tested repeatedly. He loved the light and rejected the darkness engulfing his life and hopefulness. Even so, his love for the light needed more than good intentions and hopeful aspirations. Jack was ignorant of the rigors of living in the light. Jack’s zeal had met his match by the powers of the darkness. He never dreamt that his climb out of darkness would bring struggle, opposition, and hatred for the Light he loved and pursued. Jack’s friends recognized that the uphill march toward masculine virtue was getting the best of him. Jack began to dream about leaving the community of light and retreating to the subterranean underbelly of the earth, and his friends stood in the way of his freefall. Jack’s thoughts and murmuring began obsessing about the certainty of the darkness he once knew, and his friends pleaded with him to persevere through the trials and temptations.
Jack recalled the past and began longing for an easy way out. For a season, he blamed the Light and the people of the Light, his face downtrodden with grief and guilt until his friends pressed him to draw strength from the Lord. The brotherhood shared this passage, “… since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”[1]
Their words echoed in Jack’s heart and mind. He couldn’t shake the word perseverance.
Jack’s ember of faith began to glow as he learned of the value of this gift from God.
- The Greek root word for perseverance is hypomonē meaning steadfast endurance — the power to withstand hardship or stress; especially the inward fortitude necessary.”
- In hypomonē there is the idea of energetic resistance, steadfastness under pressure, and endurance in the face of trials.[2]
The goal for people of Light is to be a person of love. The upward march towards the summit of masculinity requires energetic resistance, steadfastness under pressure, and endurance in the face of trials. When we lack one of these qualities, friends and mentors offer guidance toward the goal.
We at Men of Iron are moving up the mountain of manhood with love and Light.
Be a mentor.
Find a mentor.
Be a better man.
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[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Heb 12:1–3.
[2] Walter M. Dunnett, “Perseverance,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 600.