The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

Keep It Between the Lines

The sky was overcast, and the night was black—the darkness of a country road without a streetlamp kind of dark. The streets were icy and black as the night. Without the comfort of a yellow line, I maneuvered my five-speed with caution. This wintery phenomenon is as common as sin when driving the remote roadways of the Midwest. My friend’s house was only a stone’s throw away, but it felt like a country mile. I held the steering wheel with a death grip as a novice driver. But even my grip couldn’t keep the back end of the car from sliding.

As I gingerly took a left turn, the car’s back end slid out from under me like when a dog slides sideways on a slick floor. As careful and attentive as possible, I was still powerless to keep it in the middle. The car’s back end slid, and I heard a “Crack” with the unwelcome sound of metal kissing metal as the rear quarter panel slid down a guardrail. Adrenaline-induced doom rushed through my veins. Kudos for the guardrails, though. The guardrail kept me from sliding into an icy creek and trashing my mobile teenage dream. I drove it to my friend’s house in first gear and awaited the parental backlash.

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, thus, preventing men from falling away or stumbling off the path of Christlikeness. Most men wouldn’t choose to waiver into the ditch, but we are all prone to stray (Isa 53:6). A guardrail dings the ego demanding a check of his motives, and redirects us back to the middle where we find the acceptance, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus.

We are all novices.

Keep it between the lines.

Be a mentor.

Find a mentor.

Be a better man.

The conversation continues on the Men of Iron Podcast –

“Jesus, A Man On A Mission” (EP. 114)