True life is found only through faith in Jesus Christ
I am the youngest of three children, with an older brother and a first-born sister—the academic achiever of the family. Growing up in a Christian country, I attended Sunday School faithfully and learned the familiar Biblical stories. But in reality, my faith amounted to about an hour and a half of “living for God” each week—the time spent in church—while the rest of my life looked very much like the kind of hypocrisy unbelievers often accuse Christians of.
Having been taught right from wrong, I disapproved of the choices my brother was making. In my own self-righteous thinking, I believed I was in good standing with God simply because my lifestyle was different from his homosexual lifestyle. By then, I had stopped attending church altogether, still resentful about being removed from the church membership roll after I moved to the big city. Immersed in the city lifestyle, I was in no position to speak into my brother’s life, and neither of us was living in a way that honoured the Lord. Romans 8:8 says, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
[Reader discretion is advised: The following mentions suicide.]
As an adult, my brother fell into severe depression and attempted to take his own life several times. Because I lived closest to him, I took on the responsibility of supporting him both emotionally and financially. In fact, he was the reason I stood up my now-wife on our first date. By this stage, he had completely denounced God.
It was through her encouragement that I attended the 2010 Mighty Men Conference on the Shalom Farm outside Greytown, South Africa – an event that profoundly changed my life. During that conference, a verse from Ezekiel struck me with great force and conviction:
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:17-19.
These words landed heavily. As a newly committed believer, I felt an urgent responsibility to return home and tell my brother that God is real, and that true life is found only through faith in Jesus Christ. I shared this with him. Tragically though, he took his own life—without repentance, to my knowledge.
Today, strengthened by a daily walk with Christ, I have committed myself to standing with men who are struggling with mental health. Through prayer and devotion to Christ Jesus, I hold fast to God’s promise that every person is deeply loved, (John 3:16,) and that the demonic holds no power over those who fully surrender to Him.
I am, and will continue to be, my brother’s keeper standing in the gap for salvation of brothers, blessings from Promise Keepers New Zealand.
Blessings,
Peter Meyer
Peter Meyer serves on the Promise Keepers Board, is involved in men’s ministry in his Whangarei church and stands with men who are struggling with mental health.
P.S. Join our men’s Zoom group this Friday at 6.30am and start your day with great conversation. We will be discussing this article by Peter Meyer: Am I My Brother’s Keeper? To join the Zoom meeting go to https://zoom.us/join with Meeting ID: 890 3222 8562 and Passcode: PKFriday
If topics talked about here raise issues for you and you would like to talk with a trained counsellor, you can call or text, Need to Talk on 1737 anytime. If you would like a recommendation for a counsellor, contact PK by emailing pk@promisekeepers.org.nz