Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
3/9/2022
Top Gun
Accountability strikes fear in the heart of men. But at the same time, it’s so vital to living large. Why? If the truth be known living in Freedom has everything to do with accountability. But men don’t want someone looking over their shoulder and holding them accountable for the things they do and don’t do.
Our Courageous men’s group is in a new series that really speaks to men about why accountability is so vital and so empowering in their lives. We watched several clips from the movie “Top Gun”.
If I can refresh your memory Maverick and Goose (Their call symbols) we’re out on the first mission in this top gun school to hone their airborne fighting skills. Each team consists of two fighters, one of them being the wingman or back protector of the other. And one cardinal rule is that you never leave your wingman unprotected! Your job is to have his six. To have his back. In this one scene, Maverick sees the colonel whose call sign is Viper flying nearby and he immediately shoots out after him. He wanted the trophy. I’m going after the top gun instructor!. His co-pilot warned him, you can’t leave your wingman!. But he said, no worries, he’s got this. I’ve just got to do this! As I watched the scene replayed on the big screen you could hear Viper's voice saying, “Come on!… Don’t give up!… Keep coming!” And Maverick was so focused on getting what he wanted. (Certainly not what was best for the team). That he broke the cardinal rule by flying below the 2000 foot ceiling. Viper had drawn him in to break this major rule. His justification later when called on the red carpet was it was only for a few seconds. The scene was a perfect textbook of what not to do in life. Both Maverick and the man he was supposed to be covering were wiped out/eliminated in this exercise.
Satan will always attempt to separate you from the group. The choke point is isolation followed by deception. Satan reads your mail and knows your weaknesses and you ego. But maybe you’re one of those men who doesn't believe in the supernatural. You don’t believe that Viper/Satan is a real force in this world. Or maybe you do but you’ve never been taught the principles of accountability and being a wingman in real life.
Don’t feel bad, most men have not!
Many aspire to be great leaders, but if you give much thought to being a great apprentice/Wingman you might have discovered the truth: Leadership is born through apprenticeship. The best leaders are always great apprentices. Great leaders are still the best followers. They know that there’s always something they can learn from others and they’re not afraid to pursue it.
Humility, not just bravado.
But men are historically so full of themselves and are so used to walking alone and being dependent on no one, that they can’t see the truth. Jack Nicholson said it best in a “Few Good Men” YOU WANT THE TRUTH…YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH! But the truth is you can’t have accountability without humility on both sides of that equation. A judgment-free zone. If you’re like me, over the years I have not done humility well. I do insecurity well. I do overconfident well. I do, going it alone well. But one thing I do know…Accountability without humility and without love is tolerance of bad behavior. And whom may I ask do you have as your Wing Man to call you out when you are full of yourself in those moments.?
Who have you let in enough to see “Your Truth” or “Your Half-Truths?”
May I challenge you today to look up “walking with one another” verses in the Bible? Here are a few.
1. “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another. (Leviticus 19:11)
2. ‘If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend’s hand, you shall not wrong one another. (Leviticus 25:14)
3. ‘So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 25:17)
4. These are the things which you should do: Speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. (Zechariah 8:16)
5. do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” (Zechariah 8:17)
6. Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10)
7. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)
8. So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another; (Romans 12:5)
9. Be in harmony with one another. Do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but be in agreement with common people. Do not give yourselves an air of wisdom. (Romans 12:16)
Go and see yourself. There are so many scriptures that encourage unity. Walking together in harmony
Look. We need each other. We will always have our differences. (Just look inside your marriage) Let’s be realistic. We need a Wing Man and they need YOU. We need to have a relationship deep enough that you will want to stand up for them when needed and be strong enough to stand up to them also. We need to be there for them. You have heard the old saying. I have nothing to hide. Well if that be true then “Hide Nothing”! Be transparent. God knows the truth. You know half the truth. Your Wing Man will help you walk in a fuller truth before God and before man.
God's word says it best: “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3) Are you listening to God’s word?
What would our world look like if we all had a Godly Wing Man?
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (1 Corinthians 12:7) Are you listening? You will have to ask that Wingman candidate if he would consider asking you the hard questions? Whether he would allow you to get closer to him so your willing to ask them. Pray about that. Pray about who. Pray about when? The time is past due. Ask the wingman now! And keep asking until one says yes.
It begins with humility and a passion to be a better Son of God.
The Father's House – Cory Asbury (Lyrics)
