As I reflect over my life and career, numerous times I longed for something, even ached for it… but I didn’t even know what to call it.
So many of us try to slog our way through life’s issues alone. But God created us to team up and pull together.
Deep into my career, I wanted someone to pray with; someone to encourage and be encouraged by; someone to stand with me. I needed a confidant with whom I could share my struggles—someone who would not merely empathize with me but would challenge me boldly.
For we never accomplish anything of value without the help of others.
As a follower of Jesus, my desire is to live for Him and please Him. I want to grow in my relationship with Him and others. I read my Bible, pray, give, go to church… but something vital was lacking.
How did I know this?
Because I was still struggling with sins and character flaws in my life that were eating my lunch! And these flaws were affecting every aspect of my life.
I remember leaving work early one day so I could take a break before teaching a Bible class that night. On the way home, a guy cut me off in traffic… and I went ballistic! I vented my anger with a cruel blast of the horn and shot him a dirty look!
Instantly, I was ashamed—no, I was horrified!
I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. How could I treat another human being like this? What kind of Christian was I exhibiting this kind of rage? Why was I responding like this? Where was such anger coming from?! (This wasn’t the first time either.)
I couldn’t beat this anger in the ways I had always tried, because it kept rearing its ugly head. Till now, I had always dealt with it reactively. Now I realized I had to confront it proactively. I desperately needed Christ to transform me and take this from me…
But how?
Chances are you’re not judging me right now. You’re probably empathizing with me because I know I’m not alone in my struggle against sinful patterns.
Your struggle may not be with road rage… there are a million other sins that enslave us: fear, anxiety, bad-mouthing others, gossip, lying, pride, porn, and a host of other addictions.
The Bible says that we’re slaves to whatever controls us. Anger behind the wheel was controlling me. Perhaps some sin like that is controlling you too.
So, how do we change? How do we break the chains of slavery to sin? We don’t want to be sin’s slave!
How do we change?
Shortly before that ugly experience behind the wheel, I heard about a spiritual discipline I was unfamiliar with—a skill for following Jesus—called Spiritual Partnership.
Ed, a guy I barely knew, asked me to partner with him spiritually—to be a comrade in arms with him in our walk with Christ. I agreed, and Ed and I started meeting every Friday afternoon. We usually went for a hike.
On our hike, we gave each other permission to ask “tough questions” and to challenge each other in our walk with Christ. We also prayed with and for each other.
After my fateful incident in the car, I confessed to Ed how I had reacted and asked for his help in praying for me and holding me accountable. Ed and I continued to meet every Friday for the five years I lived in Alaska.
The time I spent in spiritual partnership with Ed transformed me! I began to see why Christ not only calls us to Himself but to other followers of Jesus too.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17
That angry incident took place about 18 years ago. Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and spiritual partnership with my friend Ed I am no longer a slave to that sin!
When I experienced the power and joy of partnering with others spiritually, I decided that spiritual partnership was something I would never again live without.
Since partnering with Ed, I’ve enjoyed spiritual partnerships with numerous other godly men who continue to challenge me and spur me forward in my walk with Christ. And I have the privilege of helping facilitate transformation in their lives. Over these past 18 years, I’ve witnessed how the Lord uses spiritual partnerships to radically transform lives and draw us closer to Himself.
Through my spiritual partnerships, I’ve seen the Lord…
- Bring passion and joy back into their relationship with Jesus
- Free men from sins that bound them
- Revive failing marriages
- Prepare men for great accomplishments in their work
- Help them overcome significant hurdles in their life and work
I’ve been so impressed with the power of spiritual partnerships and have benefited so greatly from them that I wrote a little book. I felt compelled to show others how they too can partner spiritually with someone and experience the joy and power of a such a relationship.
This little book is called Spiritual Partnership: The Power of Pursing Christ with a Confidant.
During this season of “Social Distancing,” now more than ever, we need to engage in deep, meaningful relationships. We need relationships that have the potential to transform our lives.
We each need a spiritual partner with whom we can mutually and reciprocally challenge and encourage through life’s joys and struggles.
Already, you may be thinking about some things you’d like to see Christ change in your life. Or maybe you’ve thought of a friend or acquaintance who is currently struggling in some area.
Just think of what you and your friend could experience in the context of a spiritual partnership!
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Men—imagine a comrades-in-arms relationship with another man in which you two are spurring each other on in your personal and professional lives as you grow in Christ!
Women—envision a spiritual partnership with another woman in which you two stand with each other to weather the storms and share the joys of your life in Christ!
You’re probably thinking… YES! I want to initiate a spiritual partnership… but how?
- What does spiritual partnership look like?
- How do I start one?
- Who do I ask?
- What do we do when we meet?
All those questions and more are detailed in my little book, Spiritual Partnership.
I feel so strongly about the benefits of spiritual partnerships that I’m offering the eBook for the next seven days (Friday, November 6th, 5AM PST thru Thursday, November 12th, 11PM PST) for just 99 cents!
For a mere $0.99 you will have all the information you need to launch your spiritual partnership and begin to experience what the Lord can do when you partner with another follower of Jesus.
Spiritual Partnership is under 100 pages. Even for a slow reader, it’ll only take a couple hours to read. It’s simple and offers lots of examples and clear explanations.
There are six short chapters complete with discussion questions after each chapter.
In fact, one of the best ways to launch your spiritual partnership is to sit down together and read and discuss the book.
Don’t put this off! Get your 99-cent copy of Spiritual Partnership: The Power of Pursuing Christ with a Confidant.
As I write this, I’m meeting with my spiritual partner tomorrow morning. The numerous ways the Lord has used him in my life and me in his are too many to list here. I yearn to see others like you experience the joys and transformation through spiritual partnership.
Get your copy now! Click here.
Your brother in Christ,
Rob Fischer
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