Loving God
We love God through living and dying for Him (Rom 14:8). Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, but he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places which were not known to be a good place, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days, but he ended up building the temple later on.
Hence, do we too fill in the gaps where we are lacking so we can be more in line with God’s standards? How can we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him (Mt 16:24) every day?
Loving mankind
Just like how Solomon prayed for ‘an understanding heart’ that he ‘may discern between good and evil’, we too should pray for God to grant us godly wisdom (‘wisdom of God’ 1 Kgs 3:28), ‘understanding to discern justice’, and ‘a wise and understanding heart’.
There are many injustices around us today which may not be visible, where the innocent are oppressed and the oppressors get away with their wrongdoing. While we believe in the justice of God and that God will in His perfect timing mete out justice, we can do our part to stand up for those who are being oppressed when we know of it, seeking justice and true peace instead of allowing merely false peace to exist on the surface (Is 1:16-17,23). Furthermore, we should not join the oppressor, but defend those who are in need. Although we may not be able to change the whole world, small changes to help those around us could change their world. If everyone is able to become the change we want to see, even when the love of many grow cold (Mt 24:12-13), we will continue to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world as we stand against the tides of this world and direct people to the true source of light who is God (Mt 5:13-16).
Solomon was able to discern between what both women said based on their love or lack of love they had for the child, and with the wisdom of God was able to administer justice. We too should use our God-given wisdom to help others in a way that pleases God and brings glory to Him. (Mt 5:16)
Love vs possession
Love never fails, which means love is already true in itself, and there would not be such a thing as ‘fake love’ because that would simply mean that it was not love (1 Cor 13:4-8a). While love is not possession, it does not rejoice in sin, but in the truth and righteousness of God (1 Cor 13:6).
In this chapter, we see that a true mother’s love comprises a heart that yearns with compassion for her child, where she would rather her child live than die even if she did not get to keep her child; it is a selfless love. Conversely, possessiveness and possession is the other woman wanting to keep the child no matter what, which would result in no one having the child living and alive because she would rather the child be divided; it is self-seeking (the reverse of 1 Cor 13:5b).
A true mother’s love yearns with compassion for her child to God in prayer for them, because she cares about her child’s physical and spiritual life.
Therefore, Solomon with the wisdom of God, through the testing of the decision to divide the living child in two by saying that half be given to one woman and half the other, was able to identify who the real mother was based on the love of a mother that proved to be true.
Conclusion
May we learn how to better love God, love those around us, and have true selfless love.
Reflection questions
What can I improve on/in today and maintain till it becomes part of my life, to be more in line with God’s standards?
How can I truly love those around me?
How can I show true love to my mother?
