No one loves the story of a great friendship more than I do. One of the friendships that is remarked upon and drawn from over and over is the friendship of Jonathan and David.
There is one aspect that I have yet to hear about and that is the position of Jonathan in the midst of two extremes: love and hate.
David was the friend Jonathan loved, and yet on the opposite side was the intense hatred his own Father held for the person Jonathan loved.
What happens when your friend is deeply connected to your sworn enemy?
You tread very carefully, as David did. Though he loved Jonathan, he understood his alliance was precarious at best.
King Saul would use Jonathan's friendship to further his despotic plans to try to murder David. I dare say you've met some people like that.
Even Jonathan had doubts about the intensity of his father's hatred for David. But David was NOT making it up. And neither are you. Sometimes, you might be the only one who sees at first the enemy connected to your friendships. It takes an honest friend to assess the connections around them.
Jonathan was so convinced that he was right, that he put it to the test. When he discovered that his Father was indeed after David, he wasted no time informing David, giving him time to escape what was sure to be an assassination.
As a Leader, you must recognize when you have to disconnect or disengage, not only for your purpose, but for your safety. Jonathan and David, though covenant friends, continued to hold each other in esteem, though their lives took divergent paths.
What can we learn from their friendship?
Covenant connections can survive disconnection due to danger
Covenant friends don't always see the spear coming for you
Covenant friends can't always disconnect from your enemy
Covenant friends will protect, alert, and warn you of impending danger.
Covenant friends keep their words even to future generations.
For more on this friendship, read 1 Samuel 18
Next Generation leader, let God lead you even through precarious alliances and trust His voice in who you count as a covenant friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment