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SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
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isdom and Leadership
I Kings 3:5-15, 24-28 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, `Ask what I should give you.'
6And Solomon said, `You have shown great and
steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and
steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
7And now, O Lord my God,
you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I
do not know how to go out or come in.
8And your servant is in the midst of the people whom
you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
9Give 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?'
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10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11God said to him, `Because you have asked
this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have
asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
12I now do according to your word.
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one
like you shall arise after you.
13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour
all your life; no other king shall compare with you.
14If you will walk in my ways, keeping my
statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.'
15 Then Solomon awoke; it had been a dream. He came to Jerusalem, where he stood before the
ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being, and
provided a feast for all his servants.
[Soon, two prostitutes appear before the king, each claiming to be the mother of the same child,
the other child having died in the night. They argue with one another before the king.]
24So the
king said, `Bring me a sword', and they brought a sword before the king.
25The king said, `Divide
the living boy in two; then give half to one, and half to the other.'
26But the woman whose
son was alive said to the king--because compassion for her son burned within her--`Please, my
lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!' The other said, `It shall be neither mine
nor yours; divide it.'
27Then the king responded: `Give the fi rst woman the living boy; do not kill
him. She is his mother.'
28All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they
stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute
justice.
James 1:5-8 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and
ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
6But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is
like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;
7, 8for the doubter, being double-minded and
unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Identify principles of seeking wisdom.
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Sketches of Leadership #35
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SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
isdom and Leadership
God's wisdom is
> Addresses not just what's fair or even
>
not master: means, not ends; care, not hammer:
Solomon, as King, prayed for wisdom so that he'd be a better
"right", not just behavior.
servant king for the great people of God.
> God's promise to
> not God could have told Solomon
Solomon is reiterated in James as a promise to all: If we lack
"the fi rst woman is the mother" but he wanted it to be clear to all in
wisdom, we can pray with faith that God is eager for us to have
the room.
the resources for the ministry he's called us to.
Instead of giving advice or telling people what they do, ask questions in a way that will help people hear from God about what is
@
right. Use good questions to help them come to their own clarity.
How to move through a decision: OAR
Objectives:
Objectives:
Goals, priorities,
Actions: Choices, options, means, people,
Goals, priorities,
motives, whys, ends
resources
motives, whys, ends
> What are the reasons you are doing this?
> What are the reasons you are doing this?
> What can you do to accomplish these objec-
> What are your motives behind this action?
> What are your motives behind this action?
tives?
> What goals do you have right now?
> What goals do you have right now?
> How else could you do this?
> What results are you looking for?
> What results are you looking for?
> How does that action fulfi ll my objectives?
> What is the end toward which we are work-
> What is the end toward which we are
> What are the reasons this action is the best?
working?
ing?
> If actions are attractive that don't meet the
> These things need to be stated, they are
> These things need to be stated, they are
objectives, there must be other objectives that
often implicit.
aren't being mentioned. Return to the discus-
often implicit.
sion of objectives.
Most decisions are considered as actions. For example: Should I go to this event? What classes should I take? How many hours should I
work this semester? What kind of a job do I want this summer? Spend more time on the objectives and the action discussion will be more
fun and will go more smoothly. If actions are attractive that don't meet the objectives, other objectives need to be uncovered. Return to
talk about them before going on to actions.
The leader's contribution: to consider the objectives, help people to own Biblical objectives and priorities, and to help them
make their own decisions which help them accomplish their own objectives in the best way.
@
Practice Exercise In Twos: Person 1 consider a real decision you are facing. Person
2 asks questions of Person 1, using OAR and good questions. Avoid advice and lead-
ing questions. Rotate roles and repeat the process. After the exercise, debrief.
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #35
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
W @
isdom and Leadership
I Kings 3:5-15, 24-28 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, `Ask what I should give you.'
6And Solomon said, `You have shown great and
steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and
steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
7And now, O Lord my God,
you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I
do not know how to go out or come in.
8And your servant is in the midst of the people whom
you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
9Give 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?'
@
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11God said to him, `Because you have asked
this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have
To Solomon, God is his daddy's
asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
12I now do according to your word.
God. Today, God adopts him
and becomes his God, by of-
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one
fering him anything he wants.
like you shall arise after you.
13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour
(Psalm 2, coronation Psalm.)
all your life; no other king shall compare with you.
14If you will walk in my ways, keeping my
God would have answered
statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.'
Solomon's requests for his own
needs, but instead, he seeks
15 Then Solomon awoke; it had been a dream. He came to Jerusalem, where he stood before the
fi rst the K of G, and these
ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being, and
things are added to him (Matt
provided a feast for all his servants.
6:33)
[Soon, two prostitutes appear before the king, each claiming to be the mother of the same child,
Solomon is willing to celebrate
the promise God made before
the other child having died in the night. They argue with one another before the king.]
24So the
it was evidently granted. He
king said, `Bring me a sword', and they brought a sword before the king.
25The king said, `Divide
didn't doubt.
the living boy in two; then give half to one, and half to the other.'
26But the woman whose
Solomon had to be willing
son was alive said to the king--because compassion for her son burned within her--`Please, my
to be misunderstood, and
thought a tyrant or crazy, for
lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!' The other said, `It shall be neither mine
this little drama to work. It was
nor yours; divide it.'
27Then the king responded: `Give the fi rst woman the living boy; do not kill
hugely risky--to threaten with
him. She is his mother.'
28All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they
the sword but not plan to carry
it out was sure sign of being
stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute
a weak king--deadly to one
justice.
newly on the throne.
James 1:5-8 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and
He performs this drama in
ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
6But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is
order to get to the heart, to
like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;
7, 8for the doubter, being double-minded and
uncover motives and hidden
thoughts, so everyone could
unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
know who was truly the
mother.
Identify principles of seeking wisdom.
In this way everyone sees the
· Solomon was wise to ask for wisdom.
wisdom of God. God is vindi-
· Solomon felt in over his head with his new leadership responsibility and he asked God for the resources to
cated.
care for the people entrusted to his leadership.
· Solomon was a good shepherd for the fl ock of God. (And he remembers that it is God's fl ock.)
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· Solomon thinks of himself as small and the people as great, rather than vice versa.
· The James passage makes the offer God made to Solomon a universal offer--he of-
fers us all wisdom, if we but ask him for it without doubting his goodness or faithful-
ness to his promises.
Sketches of Leadership #35
· James: We don't need to pray, "Lord, if it be your will, grant me wisdom." God is
always delighted to give us wisdom, especially for the ministry he's called us to.
W @
SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
isdom and Leadership
God's wisdom is
> S e r v a n t , not master: means, not ends; care, not hammer:
> Addresses m o t i v e s , t h e h e a r t : not just what's fair or
Solomon, as King, prayed for wisdom so that he'd be a better
even "right", not just behavior. It is not enough to spell out correct
servant king for the great people of God. I am not simply try-
behavior, but it is essential to get to the heart, where convictions are
ing to fi gure out what the situation requires and then display
formed and where behavior becomes not compliant but internalized.
my "godly" wisdom by telling the other person what to do.
Rather, I am trying to serve the other by helping him or her
receive God's wisdom in the best way.
> D i s p l a y e d , not d i s p e n s e d . God could have told Solomon
"the fi rst woman is the mother" but he wanted it to be clear to all
in the room. He didn't want Solomon to merely dispense God's wis-
> A v a i l a b l e t o a l l w h o a s k . God's promise to
dom, but to display it for all to see as having been delivered by God.
Solomon is reiterated in James as a promise to all: If we lack
We can be very tempted to want to dispense God's wisdom (through
wisdom, we can pray with faith that God is eager for us to
godly advice) rather than displaying it through a longer process of
have the resources for the ministry he's called us to.
discussion and discovery.
Instead of giving advice or telling people what they do, ask questions in a way that will help people hear from God about what is
@
right. Use good questions to help them come to their own clarity.
How to move through a decision: OAR
Objectives:
Objectives:
Goals, priorities,
Actions: Choices, options, means, people,
Goals, priorities,
motives, whys, ends
resources
motives, whys, ends
> What are the reasons you are doing this?
> What are the reasons you are doing this?
> What can you do to accomplish these objec-
> What are your motives behind this action?
> What are your motives behind this action?
tives?
> What goals do you have right now?
> What goals do you have right now?
> How else could you do this?
> What results are you looking for?
> What results are you looking for?
> How does that action fulfi ll my objectives?
> What is the end toward which we are work-
> What is the end toward which we are
> What are the reasons this action is the best?
working?
ing?
> If actions are attractive that don't meet the
> These things need to be stated, they are
> These things need to be stated, they are
objectives, there must be other objectives that
often implicit.
aren't being mentioned. Return to the discus-
often implicit.
sion of objectives.
Most decisions are considered as actions. For example: Should I go to this event? What classes should I take? How many hours should I
work this semester? What kind of a job do I want this summer? Spend more time on the objectives and the action discussion will be more
fun and will go more smoothly. If actions are attractive that don't meet the objectives, other objectives need to be uncovered. Return to
talk about them before going on to actions.
The leader's contribution: to consider the objectives, help people to own Biblical objectives and priorities, and to help them
make their own decisions which help them accomplish their own objectives in the best way.
@
Practice Exercise In Twos: Person 1 consider a real decision you are facing. Person
2 asks questions of Person 1, using OAR and good questions. Avoid advice and lead-
INTERVARSITY ®
ing questions. Rotate roles and repeat the process. After the exercise, debrief.
Sketches of Leadership #35
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
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