Brother, Get Outside: Where the Wild Things Are

Rediscover Your Wild Heart: Faith, Grit, and the Open Sky

Let’s be real, fellas. A lot of us spend our days in boxes. Office boxes, car boxes, little glowing screen boxes in our hands. Now, I ain’t knocking work — a man’s gotta provide. But there’s something we’re losing when we get so wrapped up in the grind that we forget what it feels like to have dirt under our boots and the wind in our hair.

The good Lord didn’t create us to be cubicle dwellers. He put us in a Garden. Think about that. The first calling for mankind was to work the land, to be caretakers over the wild places. Something primal is stirred in a man when he gets back to those roots.

When the Woods Call

I’m not talking about a leisurely stroll in the park. I’m talking about getting off the beaten path. Find a trailhead, lace up your boots, and push yourself. Go somewhere you need a map and compass, not a smartphone. It’s between you and the trees, you and the wind, you and whatever critters cross your path. There’s a challenge out there that mirrors the battles we fight every day — against our weaknesses, against temptation, against the lies that try to steal our joy.

When you’re out there, sweating, maybe swearing a little when you stub your toe, something shifts. The anxieties start to fade. You come back into focus. See, nature has a way of stripping away the pretense. Out there, nobody cares about your job title or what kind of car you drive. It’s just you, as God made you.

Nature: God’s First Cathedral

Think about all the times in the Bible when God met his people out in the wild. Moses and the burning bush, Elijah on the mountain, Jesus wandering the desert. He didn’t choose marble temples; the raw, untouched world was His sanctuary. There’s a reason for that.

The Bible may be God’s Word, but creation is His handiwork. When you look at the way a river carves its path, the power of a thunderstorm, the intricacy of a spider’s web…that’s the Master Artist revealing himself. That kind of awe ain’t something you can find indoors.

The Hunter and the Shepherd

Let’s not forget, a big part of that original, natural man God created was provider and protector. It’s okay to tap into that. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, even just tending a backyard campfire, these primal acts connect us to our ancestors and bring out a fierceness we need — especially when that fierceness is meant to guard what matters most.

It’s also about stewardship. That same Creator who put the wild things under our care also calls us to responsibility. Every man can do his part in being a good shepherd of the earth He gave us.

Call to Action

Listen brothers, I’m not saying every weekend has to be an epic backcountry adventure. But build it in. Put it on your calendar, just like any other important appointment. A Saturday morning hike. An evening bonfire. Or, if you’re feelin’ bold, an extended expedition to push your limits further.

You’ll come back refreshed, stronger, and more in tune with the man God made you to be. Because a man who walks with God finds Him both in the pages of his Bible and under the open sky.

Bottom Line

Brothers, the wild is calling. It’s time to answer. Nature strips away the noise, restores your fighting spirit, and draws you closer to the God who crafted both you and the world around you. Get outside and let the adventure begin.

Want to dig deeper? Check out these verses:

Finding God’s fingerprint in creation: Psalm 19:1–4, Romans 1:20

Strength in the midst of struggle: Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 23

The original call to be stewards of the earth: Genesis 2:15, Psalm 8:6