Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Wired - Are you a 'Solomon'?

Solomon was a doer, an Achiever with a capital 'A'. It was his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

When Solomon was given the opportunity to receive something from God, he asked for wisdom- something that pleased God very much. Solomon used the gift of wisdom to increase his own and Israel's power, wealth, and authority. This was great, until all of his success led him to put the things of this world - power, wealth, and prestige - above the things of God.

Solomon did great earthly things during his life but came to a sad end because he had lost his focus on God. It wasn't until he found himself humbled and broken that he realized his error. If you read through Ecclesiastes or Proverbs (books he wrote with an eye on God) you can see the gift of wisdom that he received from God. You can also see the influence of his own life and the mistakes he made in the advice and wisdom he recorded.

If you are achievement oriented, if you like to 'build' things (whether it be programs, businesses, or actual edifices), then you need to be mindful of not putting your earthly achievements before your relationship the God. People who are achievement oriented often lose sight of the eternal in favor of the immediate gratification of the temporal.

One thing you can do to combat this focus on worldly achievement is to have a person in your life who you are willing to be honest with and receive honest feedback from.  A second thing you can do is to keep your spiritual connection to God. Making time to pray, read scripture, and simply acknowledge yourself that the success in your life belongs to God and not you are crucial.

Our pride often separates us from God with very little action on our part. It is so subtle, we don't necessarily notice it happening. Our world places so much emphasis on success that it very easily replaces God in our lives and becomes its own god that we chase after.

Being an "achiever" or a "builder" is not a negative thing unless you forget who made you that way. If you have this tendency, remaining humble and giving God glory for your success is the best (not easy) way to remain in close connection to God.

Chesney Szaniszlo

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,  he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
Thus you will walk in the ways of the just and keep to the paths of the righteous... For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, nd the unfaithful will be torn from it."
- Proverbs 2:6-9; 20-22

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