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An uneven split
I used to run a discussion group with one of my best friends. This group would meet once a week and discuss various topics that were important to us, and the two of us gained a bit of notoriety due to the success of the group. My friend left for a while and I had to run the group on my own, and when he came back, I was so busy with other things that I was not as involved as I was previously. There were multiple occasions where we argued about who was more important to the group and who was "in charge" of the group. We decided to "agree to disagree" and didn't talk about the group dynamics anymore. The damage had been done, however, and our friendship and the group suffered as a result of our foolish pride.
King Solomon was known through all of Israel for his wisdom. This story is perhaps the best example of his wisdom at work, with two prostitutes coming to him claiming to be the mother of a child. Neither woman will back off of their claims, so Solomon asks for a sword to cut the child in two. One woman asks that Solomon not do this and instead gives the baby to the other woman. As a result, Solomon feels that she is the rightful mother or at the very least, cares about the child more than the other woman.
When I read this story I think about the useless bickering between my friend and I. If only we had Solomon there to mediate! All of us could use a wise mediator like Solomon from time to time. Better yet, all of us can become a wise mediator like Solomon! Through careful study of the word of God, diligent practice, and experience, we will know the best way to act in nearly any situation. As Christians, the "Golden Rule" is "Do to others what you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) In my opinion, a wiser commandment comes from the book of John: "Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12) If we approach any dispute from this angle, we will always come from a place of love, thinking of how the Lord and his son, Jesus Christ, would act.
Thought: Think of a dispute that you heard or were a part of. With John 15:12 in mind, do you think you would act wisely?
King Solomon was known through all of Israel for his wisdom. This story is perhaps the best example of his wisdom at work, with two prostitutes coming to him claiming to be the mother of a child. Neither woman will back off of their claims, so Solomon asks for a sword to cut the child in two. One woman asks that Solomon not do this and instead gives the baby to the other woman. As a result, Solomon feels that she is the rightful mother or at the very least, cares about the child more than the other woman.
When I read this story I think about the useless bickering between my friend and I. If only we had Solomon there to mediate! All of us could use a wise mediator like Solomon from time to time. Better yet, all of us can become a wise mediator like Solomon! Through careful study of the word of God, diligent practice, and experience, we will know the best way to act in nearly any situation. As Christians, the "Golden Rule" is "Do to others what you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) In my opinion, a wiser commandment comes from the book of John: "Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12) If we approach any dispute from this angle, we will always come from a place of love, thinking of how the Lord and his son, Jesus Christ, would act.
Thought: Think of a dispute that you heard or were a part of. With John 15:12 in mind, do you think you would act wisely?
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