Solomon on Leadership II: The Right Wish Mar 09 2010

"The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.'" - I Kings 3:10-12

I remember as a child playing the game of "Three Wishes." We would all tell our stories of what we would wish for if a magic genie appeared and granted us anything we wanted. Of course there would be wishes for money - lots of it - and to be a hall-of-fame baseball player, superpowers, and other rich fantasies. I always thought I was so clever in asking for unlimited wishes.

Years ago, a young King of Israel asked for and received the greatest with from God. He could have asked for his enemies to be destroyed or for a long life or for more power or even great wealth. Instead, he asked for wisdom. Solomon asked for the understanding in his heart to be able to know the right decisions for the best interests of the people. He wanted the wisdom of how to rule. And my friends, few things are more important to great leadership than wisdom.

Know this: wisdom is not knowledge. A lot of brilliant people have no wisdom at all. Wisdom is the ability to assimilate that knowledge to make decisions that are right, wise, and best for all concerned. God gives us the key to wisdom, which is being willing to listen to the word of God and obey it. Solomon "wished" for the right thing. We should follow his example whenever we find ourselves placed in a position of trust, responsibility, and authority.

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