What's important

1Kings 6:11-12 The word of God came to Solomon saying, “About this Temple you are building—what’s important is that you live the way I’ve set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently.

Solomon guilds this amazing and elaborate temple to be a fit dwelling place for God in the bosom of Israel, David’s city, Jerusalem. It’s lined with polished cedar, full of gold, bronze and silver ornaments and carvings of cedar and olive wood. It must have been magnificent! What a glorious tribute to God! But then, a few verses later, Solomon builds a palace, including a Hall of Justice, which is even bigger! So, already it feels like something is going amiss.

Here is the clue: The temple is great, God appreciates all the work and care and cost that has gone into it, but it is not the main thing. “What’s important is that you live the way I’ve set out for you and do what I tell you.” What parent can’t identify? It’s wonderful to get gifts from our children, but what we care about is how they are living their lives. Are they holding to the values that make life meaningful? God wants us to live holy, sacred lives not because it makes God look good, but because God cares about our well being. God wants us to follow God’s path not because God wants obedience for the sake of obedience—the “because I said so” school, which might be suitable for a toddler, but not for a 20 year old—but because God understands so much more than we do, and knows that this path is the way to lead a life of true fulfillment.

Prayer: Dear God, I forget sometimes that You are calling me to a better way, and let distractions and the call of the culture pull me off track. Help me keep in mind what is most important, the call to follow You, to live a life with You in the center of it, and help me take steps every day to live out that call. Amen.