Blessings and Responsibility

So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. [1 Kings 10.23-25]

When I read all the details about Solomon's wisdom and wealth, I find myself mentally numb.

I suppose all the details about Solomon are necessary. God had, after all, promised David ancestral blessings. And, it all has some bearing, I suppose, on one's understanding of Solomon's writings, namely, Ecclesiastes and perhaps the Song of Solomon.

Solomon's wealth and wisdom are certainly something to think about. They were blessings from God, but, as with any great blessing from God, they came with great responsibility. 

Did Solomon rise to the responsibility that his great blessings from God required?

I suppose we are all entitled to our individual opinions about the question above, but I think those opinions are pretty much invalid unless we also ask ourselves how we might fare in the same circumstances in which Solomon found himself!

Great blessings are always accompanied by great responsibility as I see it. The greater the blessing, the greater the responsibility.

So, while it is easy for me to daydream about having tons of gold and every imaginable symbol and object of wealth, including the privileges associated with such, I find myself mindlessly ignoring the immense responsibility attached to said privilege. This is not really surprising considering my background and demographic.

The word is clear that Solomon struggled with his wealth and wisdom. He was, after all, just a man.

Father, help me to be realistic in my estimation of all the characters in the Bible. Help me to see their lives as mirrors allowing me to see my own life. In other words, help me to see my own shortcomings as they are highlighted by the stories of mere men in the Bible.