God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people—I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!” [2 Chronicles 1.11-12]
There is indeed a deep life-lesson found in the story of Solomon's request of God.
But!! Are we actually better for knowing this story or, in fact, worse?
The sad thing about Solomon's story surrounding the passage above is that, now that we have the knowledge of this event, how can we, like Solomon, have genuinely pure motivation in asking God for wisdom ourselves? What IS the end to our means?
How can we be sure that "helping people" is not just our manipulation to get riches and fame? How can we be sure that helping people is not simply our means to the end of blessings we want for ourselves?
Damn my lust for wealth!! Damn my thirst for attention and acclimation! Damn the deception and manipulative ways bound in my heart! Damn my "good" works for no one's benefit but my own!
But does not the frustration articulated above still reveal my heart's ultimate desire for wealth and fame?
Perhaps then, the only genuinely pure request of God would be this: "Please give me Your wisdom for people WITHOUT any blessing of wealth and fame."
Father, I know the wickedness of my heart. I know the thoughts that spin in my head. I am ashamed of my self-centeredness and all the calculation that takes place in my mind to preserve it. I know my manipulative ways are indeed "damned" by the very nature of their selfish driving force. Please forgive me - I need Your forgiveness - I need Your help - I need Your heart...
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