It’s now a full year since I launched the God Buddy website back in December 2018. With a total of 57 posts to-date, the blog provided an outlet to refine a theory that has been swirling around my brain for more than 15 years: guys need authentic, accountable friendships.
Throughout this post, I explain how my belief in the need for God Buddies became even stronger as I researched and wrote posts during this past year. (For a quick refresher, check out the links below to the key posts from this past year).
My God Buddy Theory Emerges
The God Buddy concept really started to develop a few years into my involvement with the men’s group at my local church. As I wrote in Why I Needed a God Buddy, my own personal struggle with work-life balance and the doctor’s concern about possible depression led me to seek out other guys who had battled the same issue at one point in their lives. It also fueled my desire to learn how to become a better man.
I quickly realized that many guys today are drowning in their own struggles, not just with work-life balance, but with issues such as stress and anger, addictions to alcohol and pornography, and confusion about what it means to be and act like a man in today’s culture.
I also saw that many guys lose their closest buddies as they move into adulthood and begin to deal with the aforementioned issues by isolating from their family and dropping any friendships they do have left. They feel they are a proverbial island by themselves without anyone they trust well-enough to talk through these struggles at an honest and vulnerable level.
They are the lonesome man.
The God Buddy Blog Develops
Once I realized how surrounding myself with some godly men helped address my struggles, my charge and calling became to help other guys develop closer relationships with other men.
Over the years in our men’s group, we began to use God Buddies language as a guiding principle. I also included it in my weekly “eMale” to the guys in the group. Some of us even started each other “GB” (which is short for God Buddy, of course!) The support and words of encouragement from my GBs kept me passionate about expanding the writing projects that help men become better men.
For many years, several even suggested that I write a book about God Buddies. Since I work in the publishing and printing business, I began to see the trends toward self-publishing books and using blogs to curate content and develop a tribe of followers.
I also attended a few conferences for the leaders of men’s ministries that covered the same issues men face but rarely provided practical ways on how to develop accountable relationships.
So with some time on my hands last winter and with the technical help from my sons, it was time to start the God Buddy blog.
The Impact of God Buddies Grows
At first, the introductory God Buddy posts were easy to write since there is so much written about the problems caused by men who still act like boys these days. Through all that reading, it was clear that the issues for men are huge…. but we are not talking about them!
I theorized that this silence results from a lack of trusted and authentic relationships with other men who shared the same type of accountability and a desire to live to higher standards.
So the foundations for the God Buddies blog come through personal experience and from curating content in articles and podcasts about these topics for men that align with my thesis.
Most importantly though, writing the posts allowed me to reflect even more deeply about how having God Buddies has changed my life over the years.
The main God Buddy concepts were starting to come together and I began hearing this could address a real need for men.
As one reader of my blog once told me, “Rich, I think you are just touching the surface on this problem”.
Earlier this year, I had the honor of speaking to more than 50 guys in a local men’s group on the topic of Finding Your God Buddy. The discussion and questions from the group were all very interesting!
The feedback so far on my writing and my Finding Your God Buddy presentation is very humbling, yet also very encouraging.
Help Spread the Word about God Buddies
So with a full year under my belt, I encourage you to stay with me throughout this next season as I continue down the road of writing about how God Buddies can help us become better fathers, husbands, siblings, neighbors, and workers.
Feel free to spread the word about God Buddies and forward my messages to anyone else who you might feel could use them. The more guys who hear about this, the more we can help guys get out of their isolation and begin to improve.
Here are links to the key posts from the past year.
- Making the Case for God Buddies
- My Original “GB” Relationship with Bill
- Missing My God Buddy, Chris
- Three Relationships Every Man Needs
- Examples of GBs in the Bible
- Traits of a God Buddy Relationship
- Foundations for God Buddies
As you likely know by now, I believe the world needs men today who understand that God originally designed masculinity and femininity. God also requires us to use these traits properly.
Simply put for guys, it means we need God Buddies to help us become more godly men.
As always, I welcome comments on my posts and suggestions for topics. You can write to me directly via the Contact Me or post publicly in the Comments area below each post.
Here’s to a great year as more men find God Buddies!
