John Stanko

"So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, 'May the Lord call David’s enemies to account'" - 1 Samuel 20:16.

Jonathan and David had a close relationship through which they served and encouraged one another. Jonathan knew he was the be David's right-hand man in the king's administration, and David valued Jonathan's friendship above any other relationship. Unfortunately, Jonathan's untimely death in battle prevented their friendship from maturing beyond what it was. There is a saying that it's lonely at the top, but leaders must not fall into the flawed thinking that they do what they do in isolation. Rather, they should acknowledge their need for many to help them do the work, and some to be close enough to serve as confidantes, comrades and friends. Unfortunately, David never replaced the role Jonathan played in his life for he was never able to replace him with someone as wise, loving, or loyal.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your leadership is not threatened but rather enhanced by a core of close followers who are also friends. Your Step today is to sit down and make a list of your closest associates in any of the work that you do, including family. Then take time to write a note or pay a personal visit to say thanks for their help and support. Then use this list to pray for those people regularly. If your list is short, then you have work to do to build a bigger network of relationships.