Year 4, Day 344: 1 Kings 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Competency

• Competency: Being able to accomplish what one is called to do.

I absolutely love the question that Solomon poses to God at the end of his request for wisdom: “For who can govern your people?”  Solomon knows the truth.  Trying to lead people gets harder as the amount of people increases.  It’s hard enough to lead a family.  It’s even harder to lead a team or group.  It’s even harder to lead a ministry or business.  It’s even harder to lead a nation or country.  Solomon understands the near-impossibility of his task.  And he asks for help in the form of wisdom.

I want to praise Solomon from another perspective, too.  Solomon could have fallen into the pit of ambition and asked to be famous and filled with renown.  Solomon could have fallen to his appetite and asked for riches beyond measure or treasure unlike anyone else has ever known.  Solomon could have fallen into the pit of needing approval and asked for followers or servants who lift up how great and necessary he is.

But the truth is that Solomon was up to God’s challenge in this moment.  He is a competent leader - so long as he remains humble and faithful to God.  So long as Solomon understands that he isn’t ruling the kingdom under his own authority he can be a competent leader.  It is amazing to see Solomon’s humble attitude in the presence of God so naturally lead to competence.

But don't hear me giving Solomon the seal of approval, either.  We know how this story ends.  It is important that we learn the good from Solomon in this story, but not consider the story closed, either.

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