You woke tied to a chair. Several people entered the room and removed your blindfold. As you slowly got use to the light, you saw yourself in a room dimly lit by a lamp hanging from the ceiling. “What do you want?” You asked angrily. How dare they kidnap you? This is a country ruled by law. This is not a “here, danger” place.
You made out two men, both masked. One stuck what felt like a gun to your right temple. The other spoke to you. “We will let you go. You just must make a decision. There are two boxes in front of you. You must choose one and only one. One is the box of being nice. If you choose this, you must be nice to everyone all the time, regardless of whether they are right or wrong. One is the box of being right. If you choose this, you must correct every wrong. You cannot be nice. You have five seconds.
What will you choose? Can we only be one or the other?
As we read 1 Kings 2:13-46, we see the very first actions Solomon took after he ascended to the throne. He eliminated several individuals – his brother who sought to undermine him with a mind to take over his throne, a rascal who killed innocent men without the former king’s knowledge. As for another man who cursed his late father and subsequently requested and received forgiveness, Solomon gave him a chance. This man ultimately lost his life for two slaves.
You would think when a king is new to the throne, he should try to be nice to gain acceptance. Yet, King Solomon did not hesitate to kill those men mentioned above.
Some people are firm and tough. They are seen as aggressive and ruthless. They do not seem to have any compassion. Some are the other way around. They are polite and nice and seems to be very understanding. They hesitate to point out your mistakes. They want to be your friend. Can we only be one or the other?
We can be both nice and firm at the same time. We should treat everyone with dignity and respect. However, we must have the courage to call a spade a spade. Your view of what is right or wrong should not depend on who it is you are facing. The Word of God should be our ultimate terms of reference to determine what is right and what is wrong. And we should act accordingly.
(I just took one whole can of pineapple slices in very sweet syrup. I do not feel very good now. I need to watch what I eat.)
Are you partial to certain people? Are there some people you will always accept no matter what they do? Are there some people you always do not like whatever they do? Be fair. Be just. You can always be nice at the same time.
I invite you to say this prayer.
Father, I pray you give me the wisdom to tell what is wrong and what is wrong. Give me the courage to correct. Give me the love to forgive. Thank you, Father. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Leave a Reply