At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever. – 1 Sam. 20:42 NLT.
You’ve seen their Camp Winnipesaukee skits, you’ve laughed at their History of Rap. It’s the beloved bromance of our generation: Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Every time I see these two giggling on television together, a little piece of me wishes I was in on the friendship. Their bond is contagious and it often makes me smile to myself thinking about those types of friends that just “get” you.
This isn’t the first time a bromance has made waves. Jonathan and David, the epic best friends of the Old Testament, were bonded from the first time they met (1 Sam. 18:1). There was just something there that clicked and they immediately had an unbreakable friendship between them. And I do mean unbreakable because they always looked out for each other. Jonathan’s father, Saul, was constantly attempting to kill David, yet they remained friends. That’s an epic friendship.
Can you even imagine how angry Saul must have felt when he saw David and Jonathan sharing inside jokes, whispering secrets, and spending quality time together? As much as he hated David, I could only imagine that he was a bit jealous that David had won over the affections of his son. And aren’t we all just a little bit jealous for a friendship like this?
When we witness these incredible friendships, we ache to have them. We want the bond that these pair of friends share, so we hope and pray for the secret to instant best friendom.
So what is the secret?
Making God the bond between you.
Yup, your Sunday School answers are still a good bet. When in doubt, go with “God” or “Jesus.”
God is the shared bond that made this friendship last. David could no longer remain safe in the presence of Jonathan’s father and they had to part ways. They met together one last time and made a covenant between each other. “ At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” (1 Sam. 20:42 NLT). What made this friendship special was God as their bond.
The shared bond of God between us and our friends is what makes for an unbreakable, cherished friendship.
God is our third strand in the friendship bracelet and “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12).
God is never far away and he creates friendships like Jimmy and Justin and David and Jonathan every day. Now, I need to tell you that you won’t click with every Christian woman. Having a shared bond of faith is a great starting point, but we don’t always connect on a deeper level with every Jesus-loving woman out there. And that’s ok. We still need to be open to new friendships though, if you want to find a rooted friendship like Jonathan and David.
So, let’s pray for these kind of friendships for ourselves and others because these are the relationships that change history. They’re contagious. They’re safe. They’re strong. People will peek in and say “I want what they have…but what is that makes the friendship work?” And you can lovingly turn to them and say, “It’s God. He is the bond between us forever.”
Questions for Your Community:
What do you and your friends already share in common?
Who is the Jimmy and who is the Justin in your friendship (kinda kidding but not really, I want to know)?
How can you make God the bond between you? What would this look like on a practical level?
Challenge:
Pray with your friends about friendships bonded in God for yourselves, for your church, and for the many women who have yet to know the goodness of a relationship strung together by the love of Jesus.
