TO CHEW ON: "'Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.'" 1 Kings 3:7
One of my favourite TV reality shows is Undercover Boss. In it the CEO or president of a company goes undercover to observe the works of their organization firsthand. Disguised and given another identity for a week or so, they travel around visiting the company's various branches to experience its workings as an entry-level employee.
I have seen these bosses muck out stables, work on assembly lines, make courier deliveries, clean hotel rooms, look after kids and lead a fitness class. In this way they interact with employee-mentors and discover weak spots in their company and its workings so they can make it better. Their undercover quest is to discover what they could never know by only working in their head office suite.
Solomon, as a brand-new leader, didn't need to go undercover to know what he didn't know. The question God posed to him in his dream: "Ask! What shall I give you?" had him laying bare his greatest insecurity. It was with himself: "I don't know how to do this job!" (my paraphrase).
I think we are attracted to the humility in these undercover bosses and Solomon because we so often feel the same way. We don't understand the situation and when we do, we're not sure how to respond or do the job.
God promises to hear our cry for help and give us wisdom just as He did for Solomon:
"For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding" - Proverbs 2:6.
and
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him" - James 1:5.
Let's claim this promise for whatever we need wisdom today!
PRAYER: Dear God, so often I feel like Solomon: I don't know how to parent my kids, love my neighbour, make the best use of my life and opportunities (fill in your personal challenge _____). I need Your wisdom today. Amen.
MORE: Advice from a former CEO
"Early in my career, I was the marketing director for a book publishing company. Because of my workload and the on-going pressure to produce results, I felt overwhelmed. I was certain that it was only a matter of time before my boss discovered that I was in over my head.
This produced uncertainty. I was afraid to act. Instead, I worried and spent an inordinate amount of time thinking through worst-case scenarios—something I am pretty good at. Frustrated, I went to a wise, older colleague and poured out my soul. He listened patiently, then said something I will never forget:..."
Read the rest of "What to do when you don't know what to do" by Michael Hyatt.
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