Who Has Your Back?

I once watched a video where the discussion was about key pointers to identifying people who are loyal to you. A number of items were reeled out and it got me wondering if they captured what it means to be loyal.

In Scripture, there was a young man that stood out and passed the loyalty test amidst strong adversity; Jonathan.

[1] And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

[3] Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

1 Samuel 18:1,3 (KJV)

The circumstance surrounding the friendship between Jonathan and David was enough put an end to the vow they made and the bond they shared, yet instead it grew stronger.

You must have heard the saying that ‘blood is thicker than water’, right? Jonathan’s father (Saul) was the King of Israel at that time and he hated David and wanted him dead. How could Jonathan have taken the side of David at the expense of his Father’s trust?

[15] But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

[16] So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

1 Samuel 20:15-16 (KJV)

Many generations after Jonathan’s death, David also kept his end of the covenant he made with Jonathan and honored the bond. This shows how both parties were loyal and committed to the agreement they had. This story is one out of many loyalty tests portrayed in the Scriptures.

In the world today, it has become rampant – and in fact, is no longer news – how people who claim to have each others’ backs eventually back-stab the other person. Words like ‘loyalty’, ‘trust’ and ‘commitment’ have become farfetched, with just a handful of people who actually understand the meaning of those concepts.

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)

Thinking critically about it, I realized that major systems and processes of life itself rely on loyalty. What is marriage if two partners aren’t sworn to being loyal in love? What makes a successful organisation if not the presence of loyal staff members? What is friendship without the trust and commitment to the one another or each other?

Dear reader, it is time for you to re-evaluate the people in your inner circle. Who are those you call Friends? Who are those you put your life on their watch? It is vital to pay attention to the people you spend the most time with.

Tell me, who has your back?

Think about it.