The Friends of a Group Leader
Even though the article is directed to small group leaders, I find the analysis and insight from the article relevant to just about everyone. Basically, the author uses King David's life and relationships as an example of the three types of friends you need in your life:
1) David's relationship with Jonathan
Jonathan stood beside David despite his father's hatred for David. The Scripture also records that Jonathan protects David from King Saul's attempt on David's life. We need people that will love us and are loyal to us regardless of what others say or do. These people truly recognizes our strengths and weaknesses and remain beside us.
2) David's mighty men
David had a group of 30 men that followed him during his time of being chased by King Saul. These men were loyal to David and willing to give their lives for David. What's interesting was that the Scripture says these "men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented." (1 Samuel 22:2) These men were outcast in their society that David befriended and brought into relationship with him. We need to be willing to invest in people in order for them to invest in us.
3) David's relationship with Nathan
The prophet Nathan was one of David's closest confidante. This wasn't because he always said what David wanted to hear. In fact, after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, it was Nathan that confronted David on this issue. We need people in our lives that will challenge us and hold us accountable. We need people who are close to us that are willing to say things that are unpleasant to here. This is only way to stay grounded.
We need all three types of these people in our lives. Without it, we will either become discourage or overly confident and blinded to reality. Do you have friends that are in these categories? Do you give permission to your friends to provide encouragement, ask the tough questions, and keep you accountable?
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