The Wise King - Pt 3

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. And Solomon sent word to Hiram, “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” (1 Kings 5:1-6 ESV).

Today we look at the third principle from Solomon’s life: His wisdom birthed his purpose. Wisdom is only useful in how it points us into our best path forward. God’s mission for Solomon was clear from the very beginning. He was to build a great temple for the Lord. Interestingly, Solomon’s father, David, also had the same vision, but it was not his mission to carry out. God knew David was a warrior, not a builder, and so He saved this particular goal for David’s son, Solomon. Solomon gave the goal and the mission to the people of Israel, helped them to understand what his mission was and challenged them to carry out it out. The timing was right for this. The enemies had been defeated. It was a time to follow God’s will. He had a clear mission in his life. One of the first things we can do to achieve that clarity is to be able to express such purpose in our lives. Let me make some practical suggestions to learn and develop a clear mission statement. First, know who you are; know your characteristics and temperament. Without a clear understanding of your basic personality traits, you’ll be frustrated and ineffective in your attempt to live up to your potential. Seek help is you need it, but find out who you are. Second, know what your core values are. The next step is to find clarity on what’s truly important to you, your values. Chasing goals and dreams that are incongruent with your own deeper values is a recipe for failure. Third, know your interests and passions. Once you get in touch with what’s truly important to you, it’s time to get in touch with your interests and passions. Fourth, know your strengths, talents and skills. The next step in this journey is to get in touch with your strengths, to know what you’re good at. Keep in mind that being good at something doesn’t mean you value the activity or that you’re interested in doing it. If you engage these strengths, talents and skills into pursuits that are not in line with your personality, values or passions, you’re not going to be happy or effective. Then start that journey. It’s an absolute key to successful living.