Somewhere along the pathway of an adventurous life, King David stopped and penned a handful of resolutions that every believer would be wise to follow. Known for centuries as Psalm 101, these several commitments force the soul to focus on things like worship, justice, how to get along with a neighbor, integrity, righteousness and obedience. Added to these and others is the all-critical issue of accountability, highlighted well in verse 6. Read carefully what the king writes: he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. Eugene Peterson, in his vivid paraphrase, states it this way when he writes, “Men and women on the straight and narrow—these are the ones I want at my side.”
Who do you want at your side? You’ll note, of course, that the question implies that you must want someone at your side. That is intentional, for the fact is you need someone at your side. We all do.
And why the need? King David’s resolution echoes the sentiment of that steely maxim in Proverbs 27:17 that says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” How true it is. The reason we need someone at our side is to keep us sharp . . . to keep us fresh . . . to keep us focused on the prize we are all striving to attain. Imagine having someone alongside of you who is willing to hear without disruption your deepest hurts and fears. Picture having a friend who is going to love you unconditionally even upon seeing your ugliest you. See in your mind’s eye one who will rejoice with you over the thing or things that no one else in the whole world will care about—and do so without envy or contempt. Perhaps most importantly, imagine having someone in your life that will love you enough to tell you what you need to hear . . . at the right time . . . safely . . . and with conviction.
Every man ought to have one or two other men in his life that will fill this role. And every woman ought to enjoy the same with one or two other women. Frankly, this is a timeless need, modeled well even by our Lord Jesus as He walked with Peter, James, and especially John. It helps bring about maturity. It shapes a person’s soul and allows for mutual give-and-take in the marketplace called life. Men and women on the straight and narrow—not perfect, but real and committed and intimate with God—these are the kind you want at your side along the pathway of your adventurous life.
For this is the kind of person you should want to become too.