The Problem
King David’s son, Solomon, was both the richest and poorest king who ever walked the earth. He possessed
both the wisest and most foolish head to ever wear
the crown. He experienced greater pleasure and deeper despondency than any sovereign before or since his time.
I am Solomon.
Like this fortunate king, I enjoy various trappings of success, and
have been richly blessed with numerous mountaintop experiences. I've raised two
sons who are functioning well and responsibly. I graduated college in high
standing, have held an array of responsible jobs, and enjoy respect and praise from many
colleagues. I'm also a published author.
And like Solomon, I'm struggling to keep
myself centered emotionally and spiritually. At times I find it difficult to lovingly detach from hard issues that friends and family are experiencing. I allow myself to become overloaded by my own problems and those of this sin-sick world. Empathy is one thing; being bogged down and immobilized is quite another. The easiest (and default) way for me to cope with obstacles that seem Herculean is – you guessed it –to resort to my idols of food, sleep and entertainment.
The Danger Zone
One need only read a few verses of Solomon’s Book of Ecclesiastes
to realize he was in a bad way. Although he displayed great patience and
perseverance – not to mention humility – in constructing his kingdom, his disobedience in later life caused
consequences which remain to this day.
Thus, we find, despite myriad achievements and blessings, he fell
prey to great depression in later years. The words “vanity” and “grasping for the wind”
appear repeatedly in the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes; I stopped counting after finding
20 references in the first four chapters alone! Over and over, the king
identified his greatest joys and accomplishments as vain, or futile.
I submit that the reason Solomon’s world view and reign veered off course can be traced back to two little words in 1 Kings 11: but (v.1) and therefore (v.11).
He pretty
much had the world by the tail, but he allowed unbelieving wives and
concubines to get inside his head and into his bed. Therefore, like many a
smitten lover, wisdom notwithstanding, he subrogated his priorities to please
the object(s) of his affections. The result? Idol worship, disillusionment, and
disaster.
My idols
may not be made of wood and stone or even flesh and blood. Mine prattle at me
from TV screens and beckon from the kitchen.
How do
your idols ambush you?
The Conviction ... and the Cliffhanger
The way I
figure it, if the wisest, richest, most powerful king the world has ever known
could get himself into so much trouble that within a generation of his death, his
mighty kingdom would be reduced to one-twelfth of its size,
perhaps I’m not immune to the but-therefore phenomenon, either. My epitaph might read something like this:
"Thea had
a lot of writing talent and loved the Lord deeply, but she loved food and leisure a bit more than her God. Therefore,
she wasted much time catching z’s and gorging, to the point where she became a
diabetic heart patient, and had little time or energy left for living, let
alone exercising the gifts God bestowed upon her."
Heaven forbid!
Therefore, as of this moment, I’m taking back my mental and
physical health and kicking Satan to the curb (with the giant boots of almighty
God, not my own flimsy footwear). Stay
tuned for my next post, in which I’ll explain a major decision I’ve made which
I believe will help me stay accountable with my time, and fulfill one of God’s
major purposes for me.
