Get A Jonathan & Nathan In Your Life!

Each and every one of us needs a Jonathan and a Nathan in our lives; not one of them, but both of them. After reading 1 Sam. 18 - 20 and 2 Sam. 12:1-15 I was so encouraged as I quickly thought of the people that I have in my life that fill these roles. In short, Jonathan was considered David's soul companion. In 1 Sam. 18:1, scripture tells us that Jonathan's soul was "knit" to the soul of David. He had a deep covenant love for David. A love that would be refined by the fire that's later depicted in the rest of chapter 18 and through the end of 20. David and Jonathan did "life" together. They endured trials together. 

I'm not sure that David saw this as a blessing at the time, but the Lord sending Nathan into his life was just that; a blessing. Nathan called out sin that was evident in David’s life. He made him aware of his blind spot and held him accountable to God. We absolutely and without equivocation need someone who is loving enough and bold enough to call out sin in our lives and push us towards maturity in Jesus Christ.

Very seldom are New Year resolutions made that involve removing people out of our lives. In fact, many resolutions are made that include making more friends and getting closer to the ones that we have. Let’s do something different this year and onward. Let’s resolve to be intentional about including a Jonathan and a Nathan into our circle. You can and will have tons of associates and good friends throughout different seasons of life. However, you also need a circle of closer friends that you know and who know you  beyond what meets the eye. An inner circle that you’re getting accountable with. I do not mean that “How was your day?” type of accountability. I mean that “What sins did you struggle with today, and what was the result?” type of accountability. An inner circle of closer friends that you pray with, study God’s worth with, experience life changes with, and ultimately grow with.

My husband has been my Jonathan and Nathan for the past 7 years of the 11 and half years that we've been married. He shepherds over my life, challenges me to remain consistent in the spiritual disciplines that result in me growing deeper in the Lord, protects my purity as a married woman by giving me a platform where I can be completely transparent without fear, and washes me with the Word of God. He lovingly rebukes me, will not let me off the hook in moments when I need to correct a wrong. To say that I am blessed in having him in my life in this capacity is an understatement of the millennium. It is an honor and a treasure from God to live each day of my life with someone who desires to come alongside me and play such an active role in this process called sanctification. 

Second to the role of my phenomenal husband, I have a deep bench of 6 women that play these roles in my life. I do life with these women. What does that look like? It involves a weekly, and when necessary more than once a week conference call where we discuss matters of life. On the call, we each have a time to get accountable with the group, we each give updates on our lives, we discuss which scripture in particular we meditated on for the week and how we applied it to our lives, we hear each other’s prayer request, then we end the call with praying for one another. Throughout the week, we check up on each other, spend time with one another in a spirit of fun and fellowship, and when things get tough we seek one another’s comfort and counsel. These women have been faithful in calling sin out in my life, pushing me towards maturity in how I respond to life’s circumstances, and have been completely dependable when life's toughest trials come my way. I feel completely safe when I bare my soul to these women because I know that they're not going to condone any thoughts or behaviors that are unbiblical. And bottom line, it's in the context of the relationships that I have with these women where discipleship happens. 

As we are prayerful and intentional about seeking out the Jonathans and Nathans of our lives we need to consider the follow about the person:

1. Are they a believer who lives a "God-first God-centered" life in which they live out a having a high view of God and regard His Word as the final authority?

2. Is their walk with the Lord consistently bearing fruit of righteousness? (Gal. 5:22-23)

3. Is spiritual maturity evident in their life, and can it be affirmed by wise cousel? (Heb. 5:14, 1 Cor. 13:11)

4. Are they walking with integrity? (Prov. 10:9)

5. Are there other believers that can affirm they are a solid believer with whom you'd benefit from doing life with?

6. What life experiences have they had affording them the opportunity to pour in your life in a particular area?

By no means should the above questions be the exhaustive limit of how you go about discerning if a particular person would qualify to be a Jonathan or Nathan in your life. These are simply some character traits to consider and traits that I've considered when building the "inner circle" relationships that I have with the women in my life who play these roles. 

There is so much to gain and so much growth that's accomplished by having key people walk alongside you in your life with Christ. The Word of God encourages us in this way:

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise" -Prov. 13:20a

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." -Prov. 17:17

"Better is open rebuke, than hidden love.Wounds from a friend can be trusted." -Prov. 27:5-6a

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice." -Prov. 27:9

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." -Prov. 27:17

My dear brothers and sisters, do an honest inventory of those who you keep close to you. Are you growing more in the ways of the Lord as a result of their involvement in your life? If your answer is yes, Praise God! Continue to nurture these relationships and do your part of being a Jonathan and Nathan in return. If your answer to the question is no, then make it a priority to pray and seek out individuals who will build you up, push you to maturity in the Lord, challenge your motives, and who genuinely want what's best for you. It's important that you also make sure to rid yourself of close friendships with people who live in a way that grieve the Spirit at work on the inside of you. (1 Cor. 15:33)

"I am a companion of all those who fear, revere, and worship You, 

and of those who observe and give heed to Your precepts." 

-Ps. 119:63

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