2 Chronicles 9: Wisdom, Pride or Stupidity?

This morning as I read, I couldn’t stop thinking about what all that wisdom really did for Solomon in the end. He had everything — looking at how things ended Im thinking, "How did that really work out for him!?" He took the queen’s breath taken away. How could that not go to his head.

I can almost feel how good it must’ve felt to be seen like that — to have someone so powerful stand in awe of him. It's so understandable to me to see how that same moment that filled Solomon’s ego eventually hollowed his discernment. It’s as if he started trusting in his own brilliance instead of the One who gave it to him. In the end, was all that wisdom and wealth worth what it cost him… what it would eventually cost the Israelites? His gift of wisdom became his trap.

I can’t help but look back over my own life. I’ve experienced some incredible success at a young age, but sometimes I wonder — what did it cost me? Did it cost my marriage? My health in certain seasons? Some of the most precious years of my life?

This isn’t about trying to rewrite the past. It’s about reflecting on it my past honestly — taking inventory so I can learn, realign my priorities, and stay grounded today. Where am I letting my strengths or success become the thing that blinds me? Where have I been more focused on being impressive than being surrendered? I don’t want to take anyone’s breath away like I might have in my youth. My prayer is to live with a kind of centeredness that builds a life taking the Lord’s breath away — a life that points others back to the One who gives us breath in the first place.