11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,
There is a consistency in God's message that is fun to see as we work our way through his Word. The message in Solomon's dream is that he as a servant to God asked for wisdom so he could care for others and God was God is pleased. Jesus commands us to love God and love others and that there is no greater command.
If we focus on this command we can't go wrong. Likewise I imagine breaking these commands is probably more hurtful to God and more damaging to ourselves than other actions.
So during each day I find myself struggling with loving others who I have some friction with--one person in particular at work. I find myself showing or implying my frustrations with this person to others. I have prayed to be able to control my tongue and my actions but repeatedly fall down. Its not that I'm doing anything overt to hurt this person but at the same time I'm not showing grace. I pray for wisdom in how to handle this situation so that I am showing God's love but also not being a pushover to someone who I don't agree with from a business perspective. I know this is insignificant in the grander scheme but I also know God cares about my concerns and challenges--so i ask again for his guidance.
knut
I love God's response here too. Because Solomon didn't ask for wealth or longevity, and did ask for wisdom. God gave him all the above. Probably because he could tell that Solomon could handle it based on his response to the question.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing the story of the 2 mothers, for the first time in grade school. I remember thinking how crazy the one woman was that was willing to cut the baby in half. But, in reality we do this everyday. If we can't have what we want, we would rather have those around us to suffer with us than be happy. Sad really.
I hope you and the family had a great Easter. We did. Both of our services were very impactful, and a not-so-subtle reminder of what God/Jesus did for us.
tp