5 Lessons on Influence from 1 King

HIGHLIGHT: 2 Chronicles 10:16 - 16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!”

So all the Israelites went home.

EXPLAIN: Solomon is dead and his son, Rehoboam has gone to Shechem to become the new King. When he arrives, there is Jereboam and the leaders of Israel who have come to talk with Rehoboam about his plans as king. In essence, they say that Solomon was a hard task master and we don't want to serve another like that. What are you going to be like?

Rehoboam is wise in this moment and asks for three days to consider their question. He then goes on to ask some of his Dad's wise men who say to lighten the load and the people will be with you. He then opts for asking some of his own advisers, more his age, what he should say and do. Their advice is to make life even harder on the people.

Rehoboam meets with the people again and his response: rejecting the advice of the older advisers in favor of the new and younger regime. And when he says that, the people are quick to part ways with him. And what was a united kingdom just two kings ago has now become divided into two.

APPLY: I have no idea what it means to inherit a kingdom. I have no idea what it means to have to answer to thousands of people who want a break when there is work to be done. However, I do have some thoughts on Rehoboam's actions in this story:

1. He starts off great. He asks for three days to allow his ears to hear and his brain to comprehend. I may not know about inheriting an entire Kingdom, but to start with listening to advisers, with a few days to let their wisdom simmer in my mind, is smart and wise action to make.

2. He continues off doing some smart things. He asks people who have been down this road. People with perspective - his Dad's advisers. They give him the sage advice of loosening things in order to gain the people's trust. Always look for people with deep perspectives.

3. It was not a bad thing to get opposite advice from those who are younger. This is a not about young versus old. It is a positive action to listen to advice that does not always fit with the first thing we hear. However, the author writes before he listened to the young advisers that he rejected the old and sage advice. He was looking for advice that would fit what he wanted to do in the first place. When seeking advice, be open to listen and honest about your prejudices - don't just seek out advice that agrees with your desire.

4. The way that Rehoboam talks to the people - burdens will be heavier, beat you with scorpions - is unfathomable to me. I literally had someone in my office just now and we said that 90% of life is learning how to treat people well, which makes the other part of life that much better and easier. Treating people the way you want to be treated is a time tested truth that makes life better.

5. The people walked away from Rehoboam, and the kingdom united under David just eighty years prior was now divided. It doesn't take long for people to realize who you are and where you as a leader are going. Leadership is about influence, and if we misuse our influence then we will lose our influence.
   

RESPONSE: Lord, may I listen to you, your heart and your wisdom continually. May the influence I have, great or small as it may be, be used for the betterment of those around me and for the glory of your Kingdom!