When Matt Damon hit it big in Hollywood, he bought two Jeep Grand Cherokees—one for him, and one for his best buddy, Ben Affleck. In an interview with People magazine, he said, “That was our dream car. We flipped a coin on the color. We both wanted hunter green and I won; he got black.” I had to smile when I read that story. Friends dream together. Friends celebrate together. Friends stick together.
When David and Jonathan first met, “there was an immediate bond between them” (1 Samuel 18:1). They remained close even though Jonathan’s father, King Saul, wanted to kill David. Unfortunately, Jonathan had to choose between loyalty to his father and his best friend. He picked David, exclaiming, “Tell me what I can do to help you!” (1 Samuel 20:4). Jonathan then helped David escape from Saul. A genuine friend is a loyal friend.
A true ally will also set aside his or her interests to support you—competition won’t corrode your relationship. Jonathan wanted David to be the king of Israel, even though, as his father so crudely pointed out (1 Samuel 20:30), Jonathan should have been the next ruler.
Despite the extreme pressure on their friendship, Jonathan trekked out to visit his pal in the hill country of Ziph, where David was hiding from Saul. During their wilderness outing, Jonathan “encouraged [David] to stay strong in his faith in God” (1 Samuel 23:16). True friends make time to spiritually spur each other on.
Reading about David and Jonathan made me wonder, Am I a good friend? Jonathan’s unwavering loyalty, humility, and commitment to David inspired me to look for more ways to serve my friends. While no relationship is perfect, friendship works best when we follow Jonathan’s example: “Jonathan loved David as he loved himself” (1 Samuel 20:17).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Esther 1:1-22
More:
Read Job 2:11-14 to see how friends can support each other during difficult times. Read John 15:13- 17 to learn about Jesus’ friendship with believers.
Next:
What might you do to improve an existing friendship? How do your current friendships compare to David and Jonathan’s relationship?
winn collier on May 2, 2011 at 5:46 am
This past weekend, I had a chance to spend a couple days with several of my closest friends. We’re all spread out around the country (Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia), and each time I am with them, I am reminded of how powerful true friendship is, a gift.
jennifer benson schuldt on May 2, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Winn,
I have some great friends like you mentioned. We’ve got the following states covered: Florida, Georgia, West Virginia, Illinois and Minnesota. We met in college, and have remained close through the years. I treasure the times we’ve shared.
borntolead on May 2, 2011 at 2:07 pm
nice to hear Winn!.. Same here, my friends are scattered all over the Philippines (though it’s not as big as the US)..hehe.. i cherish every moment we’re together, especially when Im those with people whom i’ve been missing for a long time.
One essential element that I would say keeps us going is trust.. just a segue,… your thoughts guys? I had an issue with one of my closest peers here at work. We had a misunderstanding and it took us 7 months before we were able to talk about it,…then , ask and grant forgiveness. One thing, I realized,… forgiveness/reconciliation is one thng, but the rebuilding of trust/closeness is another thing. Im still having a fairly hard time initiating on things that we normally do in the past. Im also not yet fully comfortable talking with her regarding more serious and dramatic topics.. Haha… The healing is still in progress.
jennifer benson schuldt on May 2, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Borntolead,
Trust is essential, as you mentioned. That is what was at the friendship between David and Jonathan. As it turned out, Jonathan trusted David more than his own father–with good reason.
At the same time, we’re all human. We let each other down. When trust is broken, it does take time to heal the friendship. In that case, reaching out to the other person is not only about trusting him or her, but about trusting God too–having confidence that God’s command to love others will bring about good results.
Alvin on May 4, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Thanks jen.
kvs on June 3, 2011 at 5:44 pm
Thanks for the wonderful words. It has so much to take for me. I am into a troubled relationship with one friend that we have known for three years.. yes, trust plays an important role, and I would believe the word that if a friend was a friend, he or she will be with us no matter what. Friends do not change based on circumstances..