Every Man Needs Guardrails

Winter nights and winter roads, the streets as icy and black as the night. We have all been there, a death grip on the steering wheel navigating the slippery roads. Trying keep control as the back end of your car is sliding.

I can recall a specific time driving on icy roads as a teenager. I gingerly took a left turn, as my Mazda’s back end slid out from under me. As careful and attentive as I tried to be, I was still powerless to keep it in the middle. The car’s back end slid, and I heard a “CRACK” and the sound of metal on metal as my car met the guardrail. Kudos for the guardrails, though. As bad as it was in the moment, the guardrail kept it from being way worse.

I was thankful for that guardrail, and I am grateful that I have other guardrails in my life. A Christian man puts his eyes on Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:18) and may still waiver because of the slippery nature of sin, so we must “encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

This is something every man needs.

Every man needs guardrails in his life. Accountability and mentorships are sturdy and reliable guardrails, preventing men from stumbling off the path. Most men wouldn’t choose to waiver into the ditch, but we are all prone to stray (Isa 53:6). A guardrail redirects us back to the middle where we find the acceptance, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus.