Sunday, December 17, 2023
- Reflection by Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen
“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’”
1 Kings 3:9
This week, the focus for our Advent devotionals is Lead—the third word in Wartburg Seminary’s new tagline, “Listen. Wonder. Lead.” What do you do after you have listened to the word of God, the stirrings of the Holy Spirit; after you have wondered at all God is doing in your life and in the world? Well, you respond of course: putting one foot in front of the other, walking the path down which God is calling you and leading others, too—supporting and guiding them in their walk with Jesus Christ. The larger passage from which today’s verse comes is a perfect example of this faithful pattern.
This brief verse from 1 Kings is Solomon’s response to God, when God appears to Solomon in a dream after he has inherited the kingship of Israel from his father David. Understandably, Solomon is feeling a little overwhelmed by his new responsibilities, and quite unsure about his ability to step into this daunting role.
In the dream, God promises Solomon anything he wants, and in response to that open invitation—to which many, many others might well have asked for wealth, power, or fame—Solomon shares his deep desire that he be a morally-upright ruler, and a faithful one. Therefore, he asks God for an “understanding mind.” Solomon has listened and reflected on God’s word and God’s presence in his life, and he is confident that what he needs more than anything else, in order to do the work God has called him to do, is wisdom. God grants Solomon all he has asked for and more—and the rest is history, as they say.
I don’t know what you need right now for the life of faith to which God is calling you, what gifts would best support your own leadership in this moment. But what I do know is that God is speaking to you, God is active in your life, and God will support your every step along your journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
As the birth of Christ draws near, we are led irresistibly to the manger by the gentle, persistent tugging of the Holy Spirit, who whispers in our ear, “Come and see! Come and rejoice, your Savior is near!” In this encounter with the Holy One, our own leadership is born.
Gracious God, give wisdom and strength to all those who lead your church. Give kindness and hospitality to all those who lead others to the font and the table. And give all of us the gift of your guiding presence in our lives, now and always. AMEN.
