“Distraction to Disaster”

Week 2
Main Point and Overview:   

Solomon had everything going for him. He was successful, impactful, and prosperous in every way. It’s in these moments of life where we can be the most vulnerable. When everything is going well, we begin to “read our own press clippings.” In other words, we are quick to drift into self-sufficiency. Everyone was telling Solomon, “How great he was,” and instead of redirecting that popularity and prestige in the direction of God, he absorbed it and became susceptible to the consequences of pride. In modern-day language, we like to say: “it went to his head!” How careful are you in protecting your heart? How wise are you to make sure that life’s successes don’t eventually become your downfall? What’s amazing is that God is always looking out for our “best interests,” and he surely knows the kinds of temptation that can “trip us up.” When the Mosaic Law was written, there were boundaries that God put in it to keep kings from trusting their prosperity and power over him. Solomon had no excuses. While God had blessed him in immeasurable ways, there was always the expectation of accountability. What kind of accountability do you have in your life? Are there people who can ask you the “hard questions?” Are there places that you are “not allowed” to go? Do you have mentors, pastors, or wise family members who are free to discuss with you how you are using your wealth &/or influence? These are all necessary questions when dealing with success. Case in point: professional athletes, musicians, and movie stars. How many of them accrued great wealth and influence only to end up depressed, bankrupt, or even homeless? It happens more than you realize. The scary part with Solomon is that his “once strong” leadership weakened under the pressure to “experience every possible pleasure.” When you make what the world offers your goal, you soon lose your greatest opportunity – spiritual impact. It doesn’t have to be this way. Solomon had everything, but in the end, he forfeited most of his spiritual influence. As you hear his “autobiography” on life in Ecclesiastes, you cannot help but hear his disappointment in himself. He “knew better,” but he didn’t heed the wisdom he had been given. His ultimate lesson: “God is life, not…!”