The Same Trap But Not The Same Boat: You Choose

How many times do we tend to forget where we came from? How many times we choose to exalt ourselves over the God who has called us to be in whatever position we are in?

I was watching “Undercover Boss” - a reality show my sister recommended. Undeniably there's so much learning made evident before the eyes of the bosses who dared to go for the challenge to step down from their thrones and get their hands dirty. Well, that is the main point of the show, but as I watched closely, there is an attitude observable amongst the (few) employees that can be parallel to what I have witnessed in working places I have been (when I was a student working in a shop where my classmate’s parents were the bosses and all throughout my career journey). What is it?

This morning I was reading 1 Samuel 15. Saul was on a mission with a very clear as crystal instruction through the Prophet Samuel. The Lord was with them for a promised victory. It all started right, but then there was a SHIFT of who is the head of the said battle against the enemy of the people of God. As a reader, I was expecting them to completely follow what the instruction entailed, besides it was a guaranteed victory because God was with them. I was like, “Oh, there’s the temptation to lord over God – the One who authored the instruction. In the story they were not just tempted, they fell into the grip of their own wit – so limited, seeing only the visible (the best of the sheep of the oxen, and of the fatlings).I was saddened because the state of these men might also be our condition if we are not guarded by wisdom beyond ourselves.

To make the damage worse, their King Saul built a monument for himself. What happened to the man who once said with humility, “ Am I, not a Benjamite of the smallest of the tribe of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?”I asked myself.“Where is this man? What made him do such unacceptable deeds?” I was totally disheartened because I can’t help to perceive individuals in our times – yes, they are not kings, but they started humble, yet you can’t even recognize them for some reason. They’re busy building their monuments as well. I believe that the building of the monument did not just happen overnight. What I am trying to say is that whatever we focus on is what we’re building, whatever we feed grows, and whatever we desire (good or evil) we build in due time. He made a monument for himself? Are we tempted to build our own monuments too, or are we in the process of building one?

Moving on to the next verses, this statement of Saul made my eyes jump out to the page. “... for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD YOUR God.”What again did he say? I can’t get over it, so I have my Bible App (Holy Bible You Version) with various versions so I searched. It is really the word YOUR. Why did King Saul utter this statement? True enough, “Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”It all uncovered the deep-seated grip of self-exaltation in his heart. It was there for a long time - conceived, nurtured, and now fully grown. It is indeed a tragic state for us to witness how we can be so attached to our “I am my god” spirit.

In response to this bitter truth, God’s love is so overwhelming. Samuel stopped Saul talking and said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you, not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you as a king over Israel...” He reminded Saul of whom he was. He reminded him that he was unworthy of all that he has at the moment, yet called to be one. At times we failed God - there is still a chance to take unless we consider it as a chance to change. This is a chance not to preserve our reputation, but our relationship to the One who called us.

As I look around and allow myself to be vulnerable for a heart check, I am humbled to perceive that we all face the same trap but we are NOT in the same boat ( we choose). That’s true, but there is the truth that we ought to know and live out - we all have the tendency to be like Saul the moment we detach ourselves from the KING of kings and LORD of lords.

Thank you for reading and God bless you!