“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labour.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
One of the most famous cycling races in the world is the Tour de France. The Tour could have up to 22 teams with nine riders in each team, and in each team, there is always one pre-chosen star rider to win the race. It’s a 21-day race plus a couple of rest days, with a total of between 3,300 and 3,500km to complete the Tour.
The eight riders work collaboratively to provide the best position for their star rider to win. They set an extremely fast pace in a chase attack. They shield the designated main rider from headwind to conserve his energy, so they’d position him in either second or third position if they’re riding together. They fetch supplies for him from their supporting vehicles. That’s the team’s primary job - to support their leader.
They forgo their own ambitions for the one-goal, for their chosen leader to collect the yellow jersey as the overall winner. Every member of that nine-member team is an established professional rider, but they put it all aside as less important for their chosen guy to take the podium on their behalf. That is what commitment looks like, it’s what dedication looks like, and it’s what Philippians 2:3-4 looks like.
That is considered “a good reward for their labour.” In a world of individualism, where every man seeks his own glory, or steps over others for their own gains, the Tour de France teaches us something about aligning our hearts for the ‘one goal’. As men of God, our ‘one goal’ is to know God, and to make Him known
“For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10)
The process of knowing God helps us to know and to understand who we are. That is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom comes from having deep reverence, awe, respect and honour for the Lord. (Proverbs 9:10)
What great power we get from sitting with each other in twos, threes or fours, sharing the Gospel, sharing stories of success and pain with each other. When one is weak, the others hold each other up in prayer, in physical and moral support. In Ecclesiastes 4 verse 12 it says when the enemy comes to attack the one, the others come in their defence, as strong as a ‘three-strand cord’. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
In my travel in the past three years for Promise Keepers New Zealand, I’ve met countless men who aren’t part of any men’s group or ministry. I’ve also met plenty of church leaders who don’t believe in men’s ministry, or churches who do not have regular men’s gatherings. I found this fact to be profoundly sad.
The statistics are staggering when we look at the reasons why men don’t attend church. Men look for relevance in the church, and how they can help their family ride through challenging economic times. Men are hungry for the Word of God to be taught, and not friendly-ear-tickly messages, (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Men suffer from the ‘I’m tough syndrome’, so ‘I don’t need help’, but deep down it’s the opposite. We need the Truth of God’s Word to be taught so us men see our own sinful nature against the Word of God.
This is authenticity, and with that comes humility, honesty, and vulnerability which makes engagement with each other easier and doable. For some of us, we need to stop making excuses and take that one step forward toward building meaningful relationships with other men in the church. God is waiting for you to take the initial step toward forming a strong bond with others, and to serve one another. Together, we’ll form a strand unbroken by the enemy when trials come.
So be strong, be courageous, and be bold to team up with a group of men to race for each other. When you do, you will see lives transformed like never before, including your own.
In His richest blessings
Frank Po Ching