20. Nathan

There was this bloke I saw playing darts once; he had a shirt with “The Gift” printed on it, turns out he was called Nathan.  The Old Testament prophet of the same name (meaning “God has given”) was himself a necessary and helpful gift from God to David. Nathan served as God’s ‘spokesman’ to David and proved himself a fearless friend and counsellor, always willing to speak the truth to power, even when he knew great pain would result.

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Idea 1: Tough Love If you’re a parent, or even in other close relationships, you’ve probably navigated this; sometimes it’ll be simple stuff, other times it could be pretty serious. Your heart and head are vying for the right to speak, ultimately the situation needs tackling. In confronting David’s sin of coveting, theft, adultery, and murder in his affair with Bathsheba, Nathan was able to help David see his wrongdoing by showing that he would not have tolerated those actions in anyone else.

• Do you have the courage, skill and tact necessary to confront issues in those you care about?
• Have you made choices that you would condemn others for making?
• Do you need a ‘Nathan’ to speak truth into your situation? 

Idea 2: All Equal Under God We are used to living in a hierarchical society; the idea of confronting a king, the prime minister or even our boss at work is unsettling. Nathan met David on God’s instructions. They met man to man, not as king and prophet. The message here is that before the throne of God, we are all equal: the rich, the famous, the powerful. All of us will one day account to Him.

• Which people do you find it difficult to criticise or speak truth to?
• Is there someone on your mind today?

Idea 3: The Power of a Good Story The thing that nearly always transforms an average communicator into a great one is their ability to tell a good story; something that subtly, but powerfully, conveys the core message. Jesus was the master of this skill in his ministry on earth. Nathan was blessed with the gift of storytelling; his ‘parable’ of the rich man and poor man was perfect in illustrating David’s wrong actions and calling him to repentance. In us, like Nathan, God cares enough to find a way to communicate His message to those He places in our path.

• What gifts of communication has God given you?
• Are you making good use of them?
• Might God be speaking to you through a story you’ve heard recently?

Action

If you’re not already in one, consider getting into an accountability group with a couple of blokes you can trust, seek counsel from, confront and challenge over the stuff of life. Commit the initiative to God in prayer, asking for His wisdom in placing you alongside the right blokes.