Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

There is a kind of calling that will never trend.

It will not get the microphone. It will not be tagged in the photo. It will not be listed on the program. In many rooms, it will not even be noticed.

Yet heaven notices.

I have been thinking about the reality that some of the most powerful people in Scripture were not the “main character” of the story. They were the strength behind the strength. They were the encouragement behind the courage. They were the steady presence that helped someone else stay steady.

Invisible, but invaluable.

That phrase has been sitting with me because it names something I deeply desire to be for my pastor: a Jonathan, an armor bearer, the kind of friend who goes into battle with him and can fight back to back when the pressure rises. I think back to my first seminary course when the professor asked everyone to raise their hand if they felt called to be a lead pastor. Hands went up all around me, and I was the only one who didn’t raise mine. Not because I lacked passion, but because I knew my lane.

God was shaping me to strengthen someone else’s hands, to help carry the load, to protect the mission, and to stand steady when it’s heavy. I had the honor of being that for my first pastor for 15 years before he retired, and now I’m grateful to serve in that same capacity for my new pastor. Not a person who needs credit, but a person who carries weight. Not a person who competes, but a person who completes.

The kind of support God calls “great”

Jonathan’s story hits different when you remember who he was.

He was the son of Saul. He had position, pedigree, and the kind of future most people chase. He could have played politics. He could have maneuvered for favor. He could have protected his own platform and watched David from a distance with suspicion.

Instead, he recognized God’s hand on David’s life and chose covenant over competition.

Scripture says Jonathan “made a covenant” with David because he loved him as himself (1 Samuel 18:3). He did not just admire David’s gift, he aligned with David’s God.

That is rare. Many people love you when you rise, until your rise costs them something. Jonathan’s love cost him everything, including a throne he could have claimed.

This is what it means to be invisible but invaluable. It is not invisibility as in being ignored. It is invisibility as in not needing to be seen.

It is strength that does not demand a spotlight.

Armor bearers do not just carry things, they carry burdens

When people hear “armor bearer,” they often think of someone carrying equipment. In reality, an armor bearer was a battle partner. A trusted companion. Someone close enough to see the fear in your eyes and still refuse to leave.

One of the most underrated moments in the Old Testament is when Jonathan climbs up toward the Philistine outpost and says, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.” (1 Samuel 14:6)

That “perhaps” is not doubt. It is humble faith. It is the kind of faith that refuses to control the outcome but commits to obedience anyway.

Then his armor bearer responds with one of the most loyal sentences in Scripture: “Do all that you have in mind… Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” (1 Samuel 14:7)

That is armor bearer language.

“I am with you.”

Not only when the crowd claps. Not only when it is easy. Not only when I understand everything.

Heart and soul.

That is what I desire to be for my pastor. Not a yes-man, not a fan, not a person who praises from the stands but disappears in the trenches. I want to be the kind of brother who can climb the rocky places with him, who can pray when the warfare gets thick, who can speak life when criticism tries to drain joy.

Back-to-back.

Not because he is perfect, but because he is called. Because he carries responsibility most people will never see. Because leadership often feels like smiling in public while bleeding in private.

A pastor can be surrounded and still feel alone. A pastor can pour out constantly and still wonder if anyone notices the cost. This is why “invisible but invaluable” matters. It reminds us that God builds His work through people willing to strengthen hands, not just raise hands.

Jonathan strengthened David “in God,” not in hype

There is a moment later in their story that has become a personal aim for me. David is in the wilderness. Saul is hunting him. Life is unstable, dangerous, unpredictable. Jonathan goes to him and Scripture says, “Jonathan helped him find strength in God.” (1 Samuel 23:16)

He did not just say, “You got this.”

He helped him find strength in God.

That is the difference between encouragement that feels nice and encouragement that holds up in a storm.

Anybody can flatter a leader. Not everybody can fortify a leader.

Being a Jonathan means I do not only tell my pastor what he wants to hear. I remind him of what God already said. I call him back to promises, back to purpose, back to the Lord who called him.

There is a spiritual art to strengthening someone in God:

• You pray for them when you cannot fix it for them.
• You guard their heart when people try to plant seeds of suspicion.
• You refuse to spread what should have been covered.
• You speak courage without denying reality.
• You remind them they are not carrying this alone.

Encouragement is not soft. In Scripture, encouragement is often warfare.

Invisible service is often the most powerful service

The world teaches us to measure value by visibility. God measures differently.

Jesus said, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)

Secret faithfulness still gets rewarded. Hidden obedience still gets honored. Quiet support still matters.

I have learned that some of the most essential roles in the Kingdom are roles you cannot clap for because you cannot always see them. Intercession. Integrity. Showing up. Covering someone in prayer. Protecting unity. Refusing offense. Staying steady. Being dependable.

These things do not always look impressive, but they are priceless.

When a pastor keeps preaching with fire after a brutal week, there is often an unseen circle holding them up.

When a leader keeps loving people who criticize, there is often an unseen friend reminding them that God is pleased.

When a church keeps moving forward, there are often Jonathans who are not famous, but they are faithful.

This kind of devotion is not about becoming somebody’s shadow. It is about becoming somebody’s strength.

How do you become a Jonathan in real life?

Here are a few commitments I am practicing, and I want to keep growing in them.

Show up with consistency.
Not just when things are exciting. Real armor bearers are steady.

Protect the unity.
Gossip is not harmless. It is sabotage. Scripture says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Pray like it matters, because it does.
There is a battle you cannot see, which means you need weapons you cannot see.

Be courageous enough to be honest, gentle enough to be trusted.
Jonathan told David truth, then strengthened him in God. He did not manipulate. He did not control.

Celebrate the call on someone else’s life without needing it to shrink yours.
Jonathan’s greatness was not threatened by David’s greatness.

Choose covenant over convenience.
Loyalty is not loud. Loyalty is lasting.

God writes history through the “second person” in the story

Many of us secretly fear being overlooked.

We fear being the one who serves while someone else is celebrated. We fear being the one who holds up the mission while someone else gets the moment.

Yet in God’s Kingdom, the support roles are not small roles. They are sacred roles.

Jonathan is not a footnote. Jonathan is a model.

He shows us that you can live a life of deep significance without being the headline.

You can be invisible to crowds and still be invaluable to the calling.

You can help a leader stand, and in doing that, you become part of what God is building.

This is what I desire for my life. I want to be the kind of man who strengthens my pastor in God. I want to fight back-to-back, shoulder-to-shoulder, heart and soul. I want to carry spiritual weight with humility. I want my presence to be a refuge, not a demand.

When my name is not mentioned, I still want heaven to smile.

Because the Kingdom is advanced by people who do not need credit, they just need Christ.

---

Prayer:

Father, thank You for showing us that hidden faithfulness is never wasted. Teach me to be invisible but invaluable, steady, loyal, prayerful, and courageous. Make me a Jonathan, the kind of friend who strengthens my pastor in You, the kind of armor bearer who stands back-to-back in the battle and refuses to run. Guard my heart from jealousy, insecurity, and the need for recognition. Give me clean motives, humble strength, and a servant’s joy. Bless my pastor with wisdom, courage, protection, and fresh fire. Surround him with trustworthy people, renew his heart when ministry feels heavy, and remind him that You see every seed he has planted. Use our church to lift up Jesus, love people well, and walk in unity. In the name of Jesus, Amen.