2 Samuel 12 begins, “then the Lord sent Nathan to David.” Many of us can think back to those specific moments in our life when we came face-to-face with a God-sent friend. For most of us, those moments have only happened once or twice, but because of them, we have been able to overcome some of life’s greatest challenges and battles.

“Friendship,” is a term tossed around lightly in today’s society. We have hundreds to thousands of “friends” on Facebook, and yet fewer and fewer real, genuine, and vulnerable friendships. Our “friends” on social media like our pictures, comfort us when we post about our bad days, and love seeing our best faces plastered all over their timelines. These surface-level friendships make us feel good, but allow us to remain where we are without propelling forward and closer to God. But true friends like us even when we are unlikable. They see our worst faces and our bad days, and still rally for us to overcome.

God had revealed the “real” David to Nathan- not the Facebook version. Still Nathan stood by David, strove for his success, and loved him with a Christ-like love. He risked his life to protect his friend from a destructive and sinful future. He was a messenger of bad news to a man of extremely high power — an anointed king.

“But like Nathan, we are called to courageously initiate friendships on the basis of accountability.”

The Lord described what He had done for David to Nathan saying, “I chose [him] to be the king of Israel. I saved [him] from the hand of Saul.  I gave [him] Saul’s family and Saul’s wives into [his] care. I gave [him] the nations of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would give [him] as much more.” And, then Nathan was told to call him out on his wrongdoings. Imagine being brought to a king and instructed to point out his great failure. But like Nathan, we are called to courageously initiate friendships on the basis of accountability.

My first two years in college were pretty lonely. I had a serious boyfriend, now fiance, who lived four hours away, and I came into a massive university not knowing one single person. I have always thrown myself wholeheartedly into my studies, and in doing so, I further isolated myself. I had several “friends,” but none whom I could count on or turn to.

“In a moment when I felt utterly alone and abandoned, He used a new friend to remind me that He would never leave me.”

At the beginning of my sophomore year, my fiance and I broke up. Adjusting to life without him left me feeling the most vulnerable and lonely I had ever felt. In the midst of all of this, my mom and I had been praying, or more like begging, for God to bring me a true friend. In my desperation, I signed up for Clemson FCA’s fall retreat, the Big Chill, and there He answered my many pleads and brought me the most genuine, authentic, and accountable friendship.

Like Nathan for David, the Lord regularly uses His people to speak into our lives. In a moment when I felt utterly alone and abandoned, He used a new friend to remind me that He would never leave me. However, developing a true friendship required me being completely open and honest about my weakness. True friendship is born in a community of vulnerability and humility. And, like David and Nathan’s, it is these friendships that protect us, equip us, and develop us.