EVERY CHRISTIAN MAN NEEDS A WINGMAN

Every Christian man needs a wingman. Let me explain. The word wingman is a term that refers to the pattern in which fighter jets fly. There is the lead pilot and aircraft and another that flies off the right wing of and behind the lead. The second pilot is called the “wingman” because he primarily protects the lead by watching his back. The spiritual analogy is powerful. The enemy has his target on men. That’s why Christian men need other men in their lives who will hold them accountable, encourage them, and watch out for the enemy’s attack. Knowing that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, every man needs to put on the spiritual armor and help other brothers. Being a wingman and  won’t just happen, you have to make it happen.Using the wingman idea, one of the laymen in the church I pastored approached me about launching a men’s ministry with the Wingman theme and using 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 as our life verses: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” The goal each man would be asked to adopt is: Striving to be better husbands, better fathers and more Christlike men. We know when a man is reached, his entire family will likely be reached. Wingman Men’s Ministry was launched and has been going ten years strong.As a pastor for 38 years, I believe now more than ever that if you are going to be successful morally and spiritually you absolutely cannot go this alone. You need men who will encourage you, spur you on, warn you, point out blind spots and moral landmines, listen to you and love you enough to tell you the truth even if it means risking that friendship. Men need other men! A Christian wingman is a man who has made a deep commitment first to God and then to another man or men to be accountable to and to hold accountable someone God has led you to befriend. This is a serious commitment to transparency and honestly answering weekly accountability questions. He has decided that he is unwilling to make this journey of faith alone, that he wants to make it with other like-minded men. He is one who seeks to grow spiritually beyond where he is and desires to involve other men in that journey believing that “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). A wingman is willing to warn, rebuke, admonish as well as encourage and exhort another man in his faith journey.A wingman strives to be a become a better husband. When a man’s relationship with God is right, his relationship with his wife has the opportunity to be all God intends. There is a heavy responsibility spiritually upon the husband such as loving his wife sacrificially, and being willing to give up his own desires, and even his life, for his wife.A wingman strives to be a better dad, leading his son and daughter by example. Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Your son and daughter need your time, focused attention, kindness, discipline, leadership and example. You are their spiritual coach.A wingman strives to be a more-godly and Christ-like man. He strives to be more like Jesus today than he did yesterday and more like Jesus tomorrow than he did today. He is on a journey to be more like Jesus, Who, not only is the Son of God, but the perfect Man. Becoming a godly man isn’t just going to happen, you take the initiative daily.I challenge you to today to become a Wingman. Live the life and be there for another brother.Pastor Jay Dennis is married to his sweetheart Angie for 39 years, has two children and two grandchildren. He has served as a local church pastor for 39 years, 21 of those years as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Florida. While there, he along with a layman Randy Feirrera, co-founded Wingman Nation, a Scripturally-driven, local church-based men’s ministry with three goals for every man: Striving to be better husbands; better fathers and more Christ-like and godly men.