Ranger Buddies

In 1967, Stu Weber found himself on the front side of Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. It is a brutal experience. It even says on the sign outside, “Not for the weak or the faint hearted.” Stu wrote about his experience “I can still hear the raspy voice of the sergeant: ‘We are here to save your lives. We're going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears. We're going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we're finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army's best!’ Then, before he dismissed the formation, he announced our first assignment. We'd steeled ourselves for something really tough--like running 10 miles in full battle gear or rappelling down a sheer cliff. Instead, he told us to--find a buddy. ‘Find yourself a Ranger buddy,’ he growled. ‘You will stick together. You will never leave each other. You will encourage each other, and, as necessary, you will carry each other.’”

Every godly man needs other godly men to be a part of his life. We need people in our life who will stick with us through thick and thin. We need people who will tell us the truth even when we don’t want to hear it. We must be willing to stand alone if necessary, but we are not meant to live the Christian life in isolation. We all need friends who love Jesus who will encourage us to love Him as well. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Many men are loners. We have a hard time asking for help or even admitting that we need help. But the truth is that we all need a Ranger Buddy. It was once said that a friend is someone who comes in when the whole world goes out. We need to stop trying to do make it alone. Even the Lone Ranger needed Tonto. You do as well. Who is your Ranger Buddy?

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