2 Sam 15 - Identity & Loyalty

Two different topics from this chapter were drilled into today by a couple of my friends. Both whom are smarter than I am. The moment their words hit my inbox I knew I would share them on my blog. The first is on the topic of identity, the second is on loyalty. Here they are:

"But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot." (2 Sam 15:30)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12)

1000 years before Jesus describes the signs of the end times while speaking from the Mount of Olives (The Olivet Discourse), David finds himself fleeing to the Mount of Olives to avoid a costly and destructive battle with his son. Does David believe he is seeing the beginning of the end?

I think not. He left 10 of his concubines in the city to mind the palace (what’s up with the 10 concubines?) and made some shrewd decisions about placing trusted advisors around Absalom to keep an eye on him. I think David was truly giving this over to God and was more concerned about not destroying the city or splitting the kingdom, rather than preserving his pride and dignity as king. David saw his most important role as a child of God, a steward of the nation, not the king. This drove his decision on how to respond to Absalom’s threat.

What element of our lives do we hold most tightly to? I would say it is probably our identity. Who we believe we are, or want others to believe we are, is something we fight for (“what did you call me?”), it’s something we work for (“I was just promoted, now I am assistant to the traveling secretary”), and it is something that heavily influences what we think we can become (“You’ll never be any good at this…”).

Our personal identity is so powerful, so controlling, it is the primary thing we must surrender to Christ. Yielding our bank accounts, our time, our service are all good things to release to him. But, an intimate relationship with Him is predicated on surrendering our identity. We can’t accept the power He pours into our lives until we realize who we are in Him. Until we accept and embrace our position as sons of God, we will never be able to live with the freedom and confidence and peace he has promised. As long as we let our identities be determined by what we have and what we do, rather than who we are, we will struggle with pride, struggle with trying to “earn” our position, and miss out on the peace Christ offers. “What we have” and “What we do” are things that can be taken from us via theft, carelessness, job losses, or retirement. “Who we are” is something no one can take from us, unless we give it to them. When we surrender “who we are” to Christ, He replaces our limited concept and beliefs with an eternal identity as a child of God. Something that can never be destroyed or taken away. So, the tough question I have to ask myself today is, “Who am I?” If I asked my wife, my daughter, my friends, or colleagues the same question, what would they say? When other people see me, what is my identity to them? Is my life and my actions focused on being who they want or expect me to be, or who Christ wants me to be?

The second is on loyalty:

V21 But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."

The power of a friend. The power of one person who believes in you. The power you have when you tell a person you genuinely believe in them – more than tell them, when you show them. Ittai’s loyalty was a gift to David. Ittai was new in a relationship with David, yet he publicly chose to support him, he did it when David was dejected and he did it full well knowing that his fate was now tied to David.

Mark 2:3-5 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Who are you tearing the roof open for today? Who are you publicly choosing when no one else supports them? Who are you connecting your fate to and by doing that showing personal commitment? God never leaves our side and that fact allows us to walk with confidence. Add the loyalty of one person during dark moments, one person who believes and believes publicly and the soul is regenerated. Faith + the loyalty of at least one person can recharge the spirit.

Loyalty is a godly trait – be judicious with it, but have it in you and you will bring God to someone when they most need Him. Four of the most powerful words we have in us are "I believe in you".

Loyalty is typically something we want from others, who wouldn't? Often, when there is failure, it's because we fail to offer it. This is a dangerous place for leaders and/or those in a position of authority. It's easy to fail to offer loyalty with those we consider subordinates even when we feel it. There's a difference between feeling it and offering it. I love the connection with the Mark 2 story because the fruit of loyalty was offered, not just received. It wasn't just an idea on paper with a promise, it was action that went beyond.