Lead Like a Child
Solomon’s greatest act of leadership was not a decision he made, but a confession he offered. Wisdom worthy of God’s people is always received, never assumed.
“Wisdom worthy of God’s people is always received, never assumed.”
There was a tug in my heart today to take a look at King Solomon. So, I pulled up 1 Kings 3:1-15 today and observed Solomon at a defining moment of leadership with a posture that feels almost offensive to modern notions of authority. He has assumed the throne from his father David, and rather than boast of readiness, he humbly pours out his inability for such a great task.
Standing before God in a dream at Gibeon, Solomon confesses:
“I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.”
Who talks like this? Who would even refer to themselves at this low level while in a position so high? See, this is why I love the bible and the Old Testament in particular. Many men were more honest about their shortcomings. Much different than leadership today. We often feel we were born ready and graced for leading. Scary to even think about. However, Solomon’s confession rocked me.
Is the confession giving weakness? Absolutely not. It is wisdom. Solomon, a man who never governed a people, rightly acknowledged that I have no idea what I am doing in leading God’s people. If I hadn’t seen humility on display, this is surely it. Solomon honestly shows that true spiritual leadership begins where self-assurance ends. A child’s self-description reveals a heart that understands the full weight of responsibility. I appreciate Solomon deeply because he knew they were not his people. They are God’s people. And only God knows them fully.
“No matter how close we are to people or how much we know about them, we don’t know them concretely as God, their creator, does. That’s encouraging good news.”
Now, what Solomon asks for is nothing, like we have seen before in the scriptures. When God asks Solomon for his wish, he does not request long life, wealth, material possessions, or the destruction of his enemies.
He asks for:
“an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil.”
Does this sound like elite intelligence? No. It shows that He desired God’s way of leadership for His people. We know this by the question he poses to God in v.9:
For who is able to Judge this great people of Yours?
I mean, sit with that for a moment, why don’t you? Solomon recognizes that justice among God’s people cannot be administered solely on the basis of anthropology. Secular culture, psychology, therapy culture, and lived experiences are insufficient. God’s people require leaders who see from God’s vantage point.
Maybe this is the spiritual leadership gap where we are faltering today. The breakdown occurs when we lead from expertise rather than servanthood, or when we lead as analysts rather than intercessors. Hear me; if we rely on our understanding of people, our experiences, traumas, successes, and failures as the metrics of knowing humanity, we will automatically limit ourselves in shepherding and leading those who belong to God. At some point, we must admit, we don’t know them.
The good news is that the Scriptures are a sufficient and reliable help, and I am learning that God’s people are a sacred trust. To lead them well requires divine discernment that only God can give.
As the encounter continues, God is pleased with Solomon’s request because it reflects alignment with His heart. Do you see that Solomon wants what God wants: righteous leadership rooted in divine wisdom and proper administration of justice. And God responds by granting him wisdom that transcends human categories, discerns motives, weighs truth, and administers justice according to heaven’s standard, not his kingly ego (v.10-15). How did this happen?
Well……Solomon did something for God before the dream encounter.
He brings the sacrifice (v.4-5)
“The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there… Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.”
Sacrifice created space for the encounter with God. Before Solomon received wisdom, he surrendered something costly. This detail matters, my friends. Slow your reading of Scripture down.
Spiritual Leadership that seeks God’s wisdom must pass through the altar, or in “New Covenant Creation” terms, the cross of Jesus Christ. The person and work of Christ have afforded us an open throne room to offer up self-sufficiency, ego, ambition, knowability, and control. When leaders give themselves fully to God, we pivot our hearts to receive what cannot be engineered: understanding, discernment, and the knowledge of good and evil shaped by God’s heart for His people.
What an invitation for leaders today! Stop leading as if you already know. Let us return to God as a child. Ask Him for help. Ask Him how to shepherd or lead “who” belongs to Him. God’s people deserve leaders whose authority flows from intimacy, whose decisions are marinated in prayer, and whose wisdom is born not of experience alone, but of surrender. The future of spiritual leadership depends not on stronger personalities but on humble hearts. Leaders willing to kneel before they govern, to sacrifice before they speak, and to ask God for what only He can give.
I hope this encourages you as much as it encouraged me!
-BW