THE EDITOR’S BLOG
Male Camaraderie and Marriage

Last night I was shocked to see the most unlikeliest of movies deal with a subject that almost every guy can relate to but one that we rarely deal with. My wife and I were watching Knocked Up, and in between the F-bombs and inappropriate sex stuff (I recommend waiting for the edited version on TV), there was a great message about finding a balance between your marriage and your need for male camaraderie.
The secondary story in the movie deals with a married couple who is having real problems in their marriage. The wife, Debbie, is nagging and controlling, the husband, Pete, seems like he doesn’t care about anything, and their kids take up all their time and energy. At one point Debbie thinks Pete is cheating on her and she tries to catch him, but instead of lying to her and sleeping with another woman, Pete has been lying to her and doing guy things, like going to fantasy baseball drafts and watching Spider-Man 3.

That’s a temptation that I’m sure a lot of men can relate to because it hits on a significant truth. God designed men to be in relationships with one another, not just with our wives and our children. Sadly, that’s less and less the case these days. An article last year from Best Life magazine stated that “in the last two decades, men have shed nearly half their male friendships.” Between working long hours and spending time with their families, men today are often just too busy to make time for their buddies.

But, as Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We need our time with the guys. We need time to crack jokes, watch sports and eat meat together so we don’t lose that masculine edge God placed in our hearts. We also need time to get past the surface details and share our lives and struggles with one another, keeping one another accountable and encouraging one another in our Christian walks.

Balancing that time with your family and work time is a challenge, but it’s one that’s worth fighting for. In the end, it will benefit all the walks of your life.