Read: 1Kings 12-13 "The friends we keep"
Verses chosen for meditation
1 Kings 12:8-11
"8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
Reflect
King Rehoboam had a problem. He was wondering how as the new King of Israel, he could respond to the plea of Jeroboam and the people. The people had petition for Rehoboam to lessen their burdens. Rehoboam's father King Solomon, though a great King; had demanded a lot from the people. Though Solomon did not make the Israelites slaves; they were forced into various types of services as well as taxation even as he expanded the kingdom. So it was probably a time when the people discerned that they could get some kind of relief from the new King.
King Rehoboam consulted the advisers to King Solomon and they gave him a wise response. Be a servant leader. Speak good words and treat the people well and they would serve faithfully. For some reasons, Rehoboam was not happy with the advise and so sought out his childhood friends. Young men who probably cared very little about the advice of "old men" of King Solomon's court. So they advised Rehoboam the complete opposite. Instead of giving relief to the people, they wanted the King to double the burdens.
We need not read further to know that Jeroboam and the people would be unhappy. In fact, that was the start of the division of the Kingdom. That was the start of brothers fighting against brothers. Spilling much blood on God's provision of the Promised Land.
The friends we keep for frequent counsel reflects our heart. If we like to keep friends whom we know are malicious or immoral but say things we like to hear; we are no better than them. Our heart resonates with their immorality because we take comfort in having that kind of fellowship; no matter if it causes harm to others. It is a trade with the devil.
On the other hand, if the friends we keep for frequent counsel are people who love us enough to not only encourage but point out our weakness; then we are people who cherish some sense of righteousness. We can also be known by others to be teachable enough to want to do good in this world.
Relate
I have personally come across people who prefers to keep to a counsel of friends resembling Rehoboam's. These are persons who cherish constant blasts of praises from their friends. Even if he knows that these friends are just there to make use of his position to gain favour for themselves.
It is a rather sad situation. In the midst of such unhealthy collaborations, they cause much harm to others as well, just like how Rehoboam did. In the end, when this person got into the trouble, you can see that the so called "friends" were ever so ready to abandon and flee. As a Hokkien saying goes: When the tree falls, the monkeys flee"
We are a reflection of whom we keep as friends for counsel. We need to be careful to choose transparency and righteousness over the need for affirmation. This is especially so when we are in certain positions or power. The need to feel needed and the disregard for morality over a need to maintain power; can cause great harm to the lives of others. Hence, keeping friends or people around us who can point out our wrongs and weaknesses can be one of the greatest thing we can do for ourselves, and for the people around us.
Rest
Lord, help us to keep friends who can give us wise counsel. Give us and help us to cherish spiritual friends who can walk with us in the right way. This we pray in Jesus Name. Amen.
Jason
Comments
Post a Comment