King Solomon, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the 1990s, a very large, prestigious medical school and hospital system offered me the opportunity to partner with them. I was a solo internist/ entrepreneur who had labored for over a decade to run a financially solvent medical center. The opportunity to share some of the costs and have a guaranteed income was attractive. I really didn’t know if I should accept the offer, so I asked my Dad for his opinion. His response was swift: “What are you willing to give up?” Amazed, I realized I failed to account for what I might lose, and had only considered what I would gain.
Success doesn’t always lead to riches and fame, but If you seek to go far in the game of life, you should ask yourself: “What will this choice (or series of choices) cost me?”
Don’t Be Like Solomon
The Bible gives us many examples of the people who paid dearly for making wrong choices. King Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba, is an example of a leader whose life started out well but ended badly because of the poor choices he made. When he became King of Israel and Judah, he will still a child. The Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him want he wanted. Solomon asked the Lord to give him a “listening heart” that he might rule wisely. The Lord answered his prayer, and honored his humility by also giving him great wealth, fame, and peace within his kingdom (1 Kings 3:1-15).
Fame and wealth corrupted Solomon as he matured. He married 700 wives and had 300 concubines of different faiths (which was forbidden in the book of Deuteronomy), who seduced him away from the worship of Jehovah (1 Kings 11:3). The Lord warned Solomon that He would be punished for idolatry, but the King continued to worship false Gods. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Solomon lost his kingdom and his riches because of his apostasy. Some traditions also say that the wisest man who ever lived even lost his mental faculties. Unlike many Old Testament patriarchs, Solomon did not live long. He died at the age of 52 or 53. Some speculate that he died of syphilis, a venereal disease that can cause dementia.
Nobody “Gets Away With It”
Solomon’s story is relevant to our lives today. As the Archdiocese of Washington’s website states in “The Sad End of Solomon – A Moral Tale,” “Solomon’s story could be the story of any of us if we are not careful to persevere in the ways of God.” Things that you give up for success don’t always come with visible price tags. Solomon was twice warned of the price of disobedience, but chose to continue in rebellion. He knew it would cost him his kingdom and his wealth, but he failed to heed God’s warning. This sheds light on the dangers of consenting to sin again and again: Your conscience becomes seared. The longer you linger at Vanity Fair, the harder it is to leave.
Think about it: Are you willing to sacrifice your marriage or children to get that big promotion? Are you willing to disobey your parents in order to be popular at school? Would you say “yes” if your boss asks you to compromise your values? Can you name other kinds of pressures? Think about it, and plan what you would do (Biblically) even before it happens.
Before you do something you might regret, remember it’s never the right time to do the wrong thing. If a situation is challenging your conscience, pray about it. Search God’s word to see what He has to say about the difficulties and temptations you face now or in the future, and be prepared to do the right thing.
Until next time, “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!”
Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
Twitter handle: @vlights
© 2014 Verneda Lights. All rights reserved.
