What is there in your life that keeps you from being all God wants you to be? – 1 Kings 3

Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. (v. 3)

What is there in your life that falls under the “except” column? Solomon loved the Lord and followed the way of his father “except.” Solomon was not perfect, even though he was the wisest man who ever lived. Yes, he was a good king and the nation of Israel enjoyed a golden age during his reign. He built the temple, he led with incredible wisdom, and he wrote Proverbs and other portions of Scripture… EXCEPT. Solomon had a weakness; he had a weakness for foreign women and he had a weakness for false worship. During his reign, Solomon did so many things right, but he is also noted for having 1000 women in his life (See 1 Kings 11). These women, many of whom were pagan, led him astray and caused him to worship other Gods as well as Yahweh. You can see his proclivity for skirting the law of God in this verse where he burned incense at the local places of worship. This becomes even more pronounced as he grows older and is exposed to a world of false ideas that oppose the living God.

Solomon was an incredibly wise king, but he was not perfect. He fell prey to something we often see in our churches today—syncretism. Syncretism is the tendency to mix true Christianity with the false religious beliefs of your own culture. This is common in our world and many Americans are just as guilty of syncretism as any villager in Africa who mixes Jesus with traditional religion. What is important is that we do not allow our lives to be defined by that word, “except.” What is there in your life that keeps you from being all God wants you to be? What are you clinging to “in addition to” Jesus? In many ways, Solomon became defined by his “except” and the last thing we want is to be remembered for our failings.