Stop Drifting: The Direction Every Man Needs

A man without direction drifts — and I’ve lived that.
In this Holy Week solo episode, we look at the clarity Jesus carried into His final days and how that same clarity can anchor you today.
We walk through four powerful truths from Holy Week:
• Purpose over pressure (John 12:27)
• Community before the battle (Luke 22:14–20)
• Honesty over hype (Hebrews 5:7–8)
• Finishing the assignment (John 17:4)
Direction isn’t about knowing the whole plan — it’s about knowing the next step of obedience.

Where do you need direction today?
If you need help finding clarity, reach out:
thevaliantforgepodcast@gmail.com

Tap “Send me a text” in your podcast app to send private fan mail.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

If you went to church yesterday, you probably celebrated Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry of the King of Kings, the beginning of Holy Week. And I was thinking about how when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that donkey, he had purpose, he had direction. And direction, direction hit me. Direction is something that most of us men need, that we don't really have. Jesus knew exactly what he was walking into. He knew the weight, the betrayal, the cross, the suffering. We need that kind of direction, that steady, grounded, unshakable direction. That's something that every one of us needs if we're going to face what is in front of us to become the men that God has called us to be. Today I'm going to use the example of Jesus and how he started Holy Week to show us men how to approach becoming the men that God has called us to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Welcome to the Valiant Forge Podcast, where we help men overcome life's battles, show up better in the world, and become a valiant warrior for God. This is a place where we share practical strategies that will equip you on life's journey to help you become the man God has called you to be. Are you ready to overcome your doubt and fulfill your purpose just like Gideon? If so, let's go.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

I'm Mark Osborne, and this is the Valiant Forge Podcast, Transforming Men Through the Renewal of the Mind. Welcome back. And yes, this is a little different. I'm uh here on a Monday, and this is obviously going to be a solo podcast, and this is a new thing I'm doing. I'm going to be doing these every Monday, and I will still be doing interview episodes that will be dropping on Thursdays. And I know I've not been consistent. Sometimes they come out on Wednesdays, sometimes they come out on Thursday, but this is the way the Holy Spirit is leading me to do it, giving me direction to do it, and what I need is direction. It's going to be consistent now. Episode a solo episode on Monday and an interview episode on Thursdays. I put it in my banner. That's going to keep me on track. That's going to give me direction. And direction is something I want to talk to you about today. Direction is something that will help you know where you're going and the reason you're going there. The kind of direction that Jesus carried into Holy Week. The kind of direction that every man needs if he's going to stop drifting, stand firm, and actually face what's ahead of him. Why do you need direction? A man without direction drifts, and I've been there. You start reacting instead of leading. You start coping instead of growing. You avoid stuff you know you need to face. And when you don't have direction, you're wide open to pressure. Expectations, emotions, culture, other people's agendas. You get pulled in every direction. And then there's this hesitation thing. When you're unclear, you stall, you overthink, you second guess, you wait for perfect conditions that never show up. You get confused, and confusion is heavy. Unmade decisions drain you. Unclear priorities make you feel guilty. Unclear identity makes you feel insecure. So, what is direction? Here's how I see it. Direction is knowing who you are, whose you are, where he's leading you. It's what obedience looks like today. Not when life calms down, not when the situation is perfect, but today. I want to give you four points on direction from Holy Week. Point one, Jesus moves with purpose, not pressure. In John twelve twenty seven it says, Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. Palm Sunday looks like success. Crowds cheering, people shouting his name, but Jesus doesn't get caught up in any of that. He's not performing, he's not trying to impress anybody. He knows who he is. He knows why he came. How often do we lose direction because we let the noise of the crowds around us shape what's happening inside of us? We get caught up in the praise and adoration and we lose focus. We forget the mission. We forget why we're actually doing it, who we're doing it for. And that's the key. When you know when you're becoming a better man, it's not for you. It's for those around you, for your family, for your community, for your Lord. And when you have that focus, that direction, and you maintain that posture, you won't drift. Point number two, Jesus makes space for the table before the battle. In Luke 22, 14 through 20, it talks about how Jesus prepared the table at the Last Supper, before Gethsemane, before the cross. Jesus sits at the table with his brothers. He teaches them, he serves them, he anchors them. He doesn't isolate, he doesn't white knuckle the mission alone. Direction requires community, not isolation. And that's something I'm learning too. You need to have other brothers in your corner, guys you can lean on, ones that you know will pull you back when you start to drift. Proverbs 1717 Proverbs 1717 says a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. That adversity is going to come. It's going to try to misdirect you. When you have that friend that loves at all times, he will put you back on that path. So find community, find other brothers to help you along. Point number three Jesus faces the hard thing with honesty, not hype. In Hebrews five, seven and eight, it says In the days of his flesh Jesus offered up prayers, supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of the reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. At Gethsemane, Jesus showed the anguish, the surrender, the not wanting to. He said, Not my will but yours. That shows he didn't want to. It's surrender. And that's what direction is. It isn't about feeling strong. It isn't about being aligned. It's about saying not my will but yours. Even when everything in you wants to run and hide and get caught up in your whatever it is that makes you want to escape from what you need to face. Point number four. Jesus finishes what the Father gave him. John seventeen four says Jesus says he accomplished the work the Father gave him to do. The cross wasn't a surprise, it was the assignment. And Jesus finishes it. He stays faithful to the end. Direction is not a feeling, it's a path. It's walking the path God puts in front of you, even when it hurts. Now you're probably asking me, where is that path? How do I find it? Proverbs 3, 5 through 6 says, Trust in the Lord and He will make your path straight. Sometimes trusting is the hardest part. But that comes with faith, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So if you're trying to find your path, read the Word of God. I got this Fresh Start Bible. I don't read that that much anymore, but I have all these Bibles back here. That's how I find my path. That's how I find, that's how I get direction on where God wants to lead me. You need to read your Bible and you need to pray and be in communication with your Father. And here's what I want you to think about this week. Where do you need direction? And what does obedience look like today? Not the whole plan, not the five year vision, just the next step. Name it. Bring it before God and walk it out. And if you're sitting there like, I really don't know, take an honest assessment of your life. What is your weakest area? Where do you tend to drift the most? Is it your health, your relationships, your spirituality? Find that area of weakness and get some direction on it. And if you need help with that, reach out to me. You can comment below or send me an email at the ValiantForge Podcast at gmail.com. And if you're listening on audio, there is a link somewhere on whatever podcast player you're listening to this on that says send me a text here. That will send me a fan mail mail that only I will see. Now I don't know for sure if it shows me who sent it. I think it does. But either way, and if I can't figure out who sent it and if I can't respond, I'm I'll maybe I'll try to answer that question in a separate video, a standalone video or whatever. And so you'll have to be paying attention because I'm not going to call you out. It'll be anonymous, but send me a text, send me a message, let me know. I'm here to help. Thank you for listening to me today. Enjoy your holy week. I'll see you Thursday for a powerful interview with Matt Coots on something called Emotional Intelligence. And I'm telling you, this is a framework for how to lead your family, how to be a better man. That it just kind of blew me away. So be ready for that one. With that, stay strong, stay valiant, keep forging your path, and be blessed.