SOLOMON

            From Moses comes a lesson about intercessory prayer, given unselfishly for others. From Job comes a lesson about prayer during the dark moments of life, gaining a sense of God’s sovereignty. From Samuel comes a lesson about the voice of God, knowing who is speaking before obeying the message. From David comes a lesson about petitions and praise, blending the two together. From Solomon comes a lesson about asking.

Solomon

            Solomon is recorded as being the wisest man who ever lived, yet he was still a human and his wisdom was not all-inclusive, requiring him to bring every decision to God in prayer. He was considered a shrewd administrator, a competent diplomate, and an able commander-in-chief. But was everything he did wise? He had three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines. Seriously? No man can even understand one. Not too smart to me! This action as well as the excessive accumulation of horses and the amassing of great wealth even went against the directives of the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy 17:16-17)

            He made his mistakes, ended up committing idolatry, and lived to tell others about his folly. Three books in the wisdom and poetry section in the older covenant are normally attributed to him. The passion of the Song of Songs was composed in the Spring of his years. The counsel of Proverbs was developed in the Summer of his years. And the folly of Ecclesiastes was chronicled in the Autumn of his years.

Seeking wisdom

            The beginning of his reign over Israel showed a lot of promise. The immensity of the assignment was mind boggling to him, and his youth and inexperience caused a healthy crisis. Fretting and agonizing produced a calamity of the soul, bringing him to wonder, “Where can anyone get enough smarts to manage the various hats I have to wear?”

            As the ministry entrusted to my stewardship developed, I began being asked to become a member of various boards and committees. My initial approach was the following: If asked then it must be God’s will for me to do. The invitation was never brought before the Lord in prayer, I automatically accepted.

            Eventually the volume of work required others taking control of my schedule. Two women ended up dictating my life, my wife and my executive assistant. They became great friends with each other and made sure my personal and professional calendars were kept in right priority. There was very little discretionary time left.

            One day I came to the office and noticed my Daytimer was filled from morning to evening with various committee meetings. While heading toward the conference room for the first session I asked my assistant, “How many committees do I serve on?” She said she would check and let me know when I was done with the first appointment. She researched and told me afterwards I served on eighteen committees and chaired nine of them.

            Committee work is a slow turning wheel seeing only gradual progress, if any advancement at all. Grace and patience is an absolute prerequisite. Serving on too many committees leaves the door wide open for frustration and even discouragement. The time came for me to assess and determine through prayer where the Lord wanted me to serve. The wisest attribute I gained from the experience was when to respond to an invitation, “God has someone else in mind for the assignment.”

Ask

            At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (1 Kings 3:5-9 ESV)

            Solomon was instructed by the Lord to “ask.”  Asking acknowledges dependence upon Him. God has made the labor associated with a divine appointment contingent on exercising prayer and asking for help.

            Before Solomon ever launched his petition he made a few notable acknowledgements. God had shown great mercy and kindness to the previous leader. The Lord made him the next leader. And he felt utterly unable to oversee God’s people who were “too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.”

            Solomon was feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of responsibility. He gained an answer not only by his humble attitude but by his unselfishness. His concern was for the welfare of those under his care. He did not consider the recipients of his leadership as his own people but as a uniquely chosen people belonging to the Lord. He wanted to carry out God’s will and work as a leader on His behalf in a manner that reflected Him.

            In the mid-years of church ministry, I became determined to discipline myself in how I spoke, avoiding certain terminologies commonly used in church ministry. During a moment of contemplation, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the possessive nature of some phrases; such as “my ministry,” or “my congregation,” or “my church.”

            Paul instructed Timothy that the duties of the Call are prayerfully entrusted, a divine stewardship. The ministry, congregation and church are never the property of an overseer, rather, a stewardship has been entrusted and based solely on continued faithfulness. (2 Timothy 2:2)

            Solomon came to the same conclusion about the people of Israel as I did about the people of the Church. When talking to God, he desired a wisdom to lead indiscriminately and to administrate fairly the people entrusted to his stewardship.

Heavenly wisdom

            The New Testament proverbial writer James gave some great clues about heavenly wisdom:

            “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 ESV)

            “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

            “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:13-16 ESV)

            You will know when the wisdom you exercise is divine in nature by these diverse qualities and attributes.

Get help

            Are you experiencing something causing you to feel overwhelmed?  Then ask for heavenly wisdom, insight from above. And make sure you ask for the right reason, as an act of stewardship instead of possession.