A Slippery Slope

I Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Let’s reflect on the life of Solomon. King Solomon, son of King David and Bathsheba, is well-known in the Old Testament for his knowledge and wisdom. He is also known for his wealth, which was gifted to Solomon by an Almighty God. The first book of Kings (OT) tells a renowned story of two women.  Two certain women called upon Solomon, asking him to resolve which of the two of them should be awarded the undecided birthright of a baby. I read an article that summarized it well..."Both mothers claimed to have given birth to the little one. Since they couldn't come to a lateral decision, Solomon came up with what sounded like a logical idea. He suggested the baby be cut and split in half between the two women. When one of the women immediately learned that the much-loved baby would be killed, she no longer cared whether she got to raise him or not. Maternal instinct kicked in, and she just wanted her baby to be safe, even if she wasn’t awarded custody. The other potential mother didn't seem concerned: she wanted her half. She literally agreed to have the child killed, so that she could leave with her half of the child. Solomon decided the real mother -- or at least the one who should be the real mother -- was the one who was selfless. She willingly gave up her child rather than see him destroyed." This was a great illustration of wisdom on King Solomon’s behalf. Genius!

However, at the close of Solomon’s reign as king, his relationship with God waxes thin as he compromises with his numerous wives, wealth, and most importantly, his personal relationship with God. "Now the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice." We learn of God telling Solomon, "Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”

(1Kings 11:9-11).  As a result of King Solomon’s actions, the kingdom was divided in half - into two kingdoms, Solomon’s house retaining the lesser of the two. This would be considered a modern day “fall from grace.” How hard the king did fall? One article said, "Disobedience can result in many cutting consequences. It can result in lifelong scars.  No one’s life gives us a more vivid picture of this principle than Solomon’s slippery decline. Perhaps the fall of Solomon is one of the most disappointing stories of a man’s outcome in the entire Bible."   Here was a man who started out so well, only to finish dishonorably as recorded in I Kings 10 and 11. I doubt he expected his “demotion!”

Life Moment -Disappointment is sometimes a surprise. Maybe not to others, but to us, the individual! Best to make preparation to avoid it when at all possible! Sin is a slippery slope! Very slippery.  This illustration of how “smooth” sin can be was captured so well in a great classic song sung by The Cathedrals which says, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, slowly but wholly, taking control! Sin will leave you longer than you want to stay; Sin will cost you far more, than you want to pay!”

Early in my nursing career I went to see a patient who was being transported to the Recovery Room after a session of ECT. For those unfamiliar, ECT was/is also known as electroconvulsive therapy. It is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. It often works when other treatments are unsuccessful. Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were administered without anesthesia, leading to memory loss, fractured bones and other serious side effects. I can confidently say the patients I witnessed were all treated with dignity, respect, and a great deal of care. I never saw any unethical treatment.

So, in this small recovery room, I found myself. Anxious to make sure the patient was resting comfortably, I stayed glued to her bed. In her profession, she worked as a nurse too, so I felt a kindred spirit of sorts. In a few moments, I noticed the nurses had Christmas carols playing on a small FM radio on the nurse’s station– specifically Carol of the Bells, one of my favorites.  As her eyes were closed, I trusted she was resting comfortably. She also must have been listening to her immediate environment. “I must be in heaven,” the woman whispered to me. “I hear bells.” Before I could respond, her eyes opened wider – her gaze intensified. “No, this ain’t heaven,” she said. “There’s Dr. Dellio.”  I had to turn around quickly to keep him from seeing me laugh out loud! After I finished my chuckle, I happily re-stated, “No Peggy, this ain’t heaven!” We smiled at each other.

Later as her depression began to lift, and she was more open to discussion, I asked her about her long term plans and what was the real reason she had tried to commit suicide? Why was she non-compliant with taking her medications? Did she have a local church home?  Her simple response, “I didn’t know I had deteriorated.”

Life Moment -- The first sign of the deterioration, decline and self-sabotage that signals disobedience, is a loss of our intimate relationship with the Lord. Regardless of how sturdy and steadfast you think your walk with God might be, anyone, even a king like Solomon, may fall down a slippery slope by not paying sufficient attention to God’s word – on a daily basis. (Not being faithful to God’s house is a red flag too).  Our unconditional devotion to God is necessary, and we cannot divide our devotion between God and any other thing. HE must be first!
Assess your life – do you see someone you love, or yourself, moving toward the slippery slope of temptation or destruction? Pray, discuss in love, pray some more, invite them to know God.

Look UP my friends!