Regardless of how intelligent you think you are, I think we can all agree that it is always a good idea to be surrounded by smart people. If you are looking for advice, or fresh ideas, or just help with a project, it’s great to have people around you that can support and contribute to your productivity.
As legend has it, and by legend I mean the Bible, Solomon was the wisest man that has ever lived. God gave him wisdom because that is what he asked for. Yet, the Bible also tells us that Solomon surrounded himself with trusted advisors. He had people that he trusted to give solid advice and input. Even the smartest guy alive sought wise counsel. You’d have to think this was an all-star team of advisors, right?
After Solomon passed away, his “cabinet” stayed around to help the new king, Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. Talk about a setup for success. That’s like being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1995. There is very little you can do to screw things up. However, Rehaboam found a way.
When confronted with his first issue about the labor requirements of the people of Israel, Rehaboam tried to figure out whether to make the burden lighter on the workers, or to push them harder. He sought counsel from Solomon’s advisors, and also asked his friends for help. After three days of deliberation, he opted to listen to his contemporaries and make life harder on the labor force.
And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David. (2 Chronicles 10:19 NLT)
Rehaboam’s inability to listen to wise counsel led to great dissention, and ultimately destruction, of the Israel that David built.
I know that you and I not necessarily rulers of nations, but our decisions do affect people. Our choices have an impact on the lives of others. That impact has both immediate and eternal implications, and should be taken very seriously.
Thankfully, we have the opportunity to surround ourselves with Godly, wise, prayerful individuals. We can choose to take advice from those that have more experience, can see the bigger picture, or have a stronger leading from the Holy Spirit. We have a chance to be smarter than we are by simply allowing others to play a role in our decision making.
We all play our own parts, and serve in individual roles in the body of Christ. But let’s make sure that we utilize the other parts as well.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:26-27 NLT)