Choose Wisely ... Choose Wisdom

 

As the election nears, most of us know that we are voting for leaders at every level. The more local they are, the quicker their decisions shape our immediate environment and affect our daily lives. We will also be placing, into office, some who will rise to the highest levels of government.

Solomon, who was not exactly elected, but affirmed by the people, understood some things about leadership that are easily forgotten.

One is that we are not just voting on issues. We are voting on people with the integrity, wisdom, calm, intelligence, ability, temperament, commitment to truth, and capacity to lead that will allow them to weigh issues and make good decisions.

Whether one is in community, political, business, church, or family leadership, the lessons of an ancient leader recorded in the Proverbs in the Hebrew scriptures go to the heart of the criteria for trust. They make an excellent template for evaluating candidates for election, employment, appointment, or promotion.

I have read the biblical book of Proverbs many times. The sayings contained within remain fresh, penetrating, and practical.

If I am discussing them in a business context, they are the best advice on productivity in all of literature.

In terms of relationships, moral and ethical decisions, work ethic, academic pursuit, spirituality, and every area of life, they are always pertinent and insightful.

In fact, the impact with which these teachings penetrate the hard veneer of human frailty is as timely as today's news. No ancient book is as telling about the human condition. It speaks equally to those who struggle to overcome destructive behaviors and to those who aim for excellence in pursuit of their dreams. That is why I keep coming back to them and present them as the wisdom they are to both people of faith and those who may not yet embrace the faith of the Bible.

Their appeal is universal. In them, I find God speaking. Others may just see them as helpful advice and a window in our common soul. Whatever the case, their value is such that I write about them frequently here and will continue to do so.

Proverbs 1:1 introduces the sponsor, collector, and author, Solomon with these words,

"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel ..."

Solomon inherited his post as king. And yet, history demonstrates that many kings have come to their thrones by chance, only to lose them by negligence, abuse, and incompetence. Solomon solidified his leadership through the exercise of practical wisdom. It was all he asked for from God, to have a discerning heart and mind. He was sought out for advice. As I have said in other articles, he was one of the earliest leadership consultants and personal coaches.

People came to hear him and ask questions. Then they paid him.

Some observations on Solomon's attitudes and effectiveness emerge from reading the book that is most often attributed to him.

1. He received an abundance of wisdom because he wanted it badly enough to ask for it and abandon other concerns to attain it. We are not going to become wise through chance or passive indifference. We must hunt it down and invest our time and resources in its acquisition. The attainment of wisdom requires sacrifice.

2. His wisdom grew as it was exercised and in the service of his people. He made himself available to help even the lowliest of the land solve their problems. He was generous with this gift he had received and did not reserve it only for those who could advance his interests.

3. He understood and taught that wisdom is of no value unless you do what you know to do and ought to do. It is never the mere accumulation of knowledge. That activity is merely a game of trivia. For Solomon, wisdom was more about doing than knowing.

4. He understood that wisdom was about making the right moral choices, doing the right thing in our dealings with others. One could not be wise without being fair, compassionate, honest, just, and diligent.

5. He understood, taught, and practiced a vital relationship between wisdom and work. He correlated hard, steady work, balanced with sensible rest, with success. He correlated laziness with persistent failure. He worked hard and built a great legacy. He taught others to do the same.

6. He was humble enough to know that his great wisdom was a gift which he merely received and exercised. He was dependent on someone greater and wiser. Humility, he would say in so many ways, opens our minds to possibilities we have not yet considered. Those possibilities open doors of understanding that are unattainable by those who are self-satisfied and proud.

7. He taught and practiced a lifestyle of lifelong learning and seeking. He knew that every great teacher remains a great student.

8. Solomon knew that all wise men seek advice before making great decisions that affect the lives of people and their own destinies. He knew that people, like ants needed to work together in cooperation for a great cause. He knew the value of people.

9. He also knew human nature and the flaws we all must contend with. He knew the kinds of temptations that trip people up are common and avoidable, but only if we recognize them and stay alert. Overconfidence, he realized, was a much a danger as lack of confidence. Solomon knew that sinful, broken people need a God of grace who is always available to help those who are prone to fall.

The Solomon factor is about how one man, thrust into a position of leadership, desperately sought the one thing he knew he needed most for the demands of his life and career, wisdom; it is about how he found it and passed it on to the rest of us.