All My Shortcuts
2Sam 14:31-15:6
Synopsis 2Sam 14:31-5:6 12/31/2018
Absalom set Joab’s barley field on fire. He was frustrated because Joab chose to ignore his requests to speak with the king.
But Joab recognized that it was time to complete the reconciliation between Absalom and King David. And so, he approached David. And David agreed.
Absalom humbled himself before the king. And the king accepted his act of repentance. So Absalom was admitted back into the company of the entire royal family.
But then, Absalom began to establish a base of power. He developed a regular following of fifty men. And then, he began to ingratiate himself to the people of Israel in order to win popular favor.
Absalom’s Shortcut
Absalom began to imitate the behaviors of people who seek fame and power. Or more specifically, he seemed intent to get power through fame. So, he built a network of devoted followers. And then, he made a broad appeal suggesting that he could bring a better order to the people.
All My Shortcuts
There is this tendency in me to chase after success. And unless I master it, the tendency can become a negative cycle.
It goes like this: I imagine myself in some alternate state of bliss. Usually this involves having just a little bit more money. Or perhaps a little bit more notoriety. Or perhaps, a lot more of both.
But then I hang this imagination or some arbitrary performance indicator. Say, a net worth of $1 million, or $10 million. Alternatively, my arbitrary performance indicator might be 10,000 followers on Facebook, or some other social metric. And then I go out and get that. I get the $1 million. Or the $10 million. Or, the 10,000. And then I find that I’m still empty. And because the goals I set were arbitrary, the so-called successes remained unfulfilling.
Perhaps others share this experience.
So, I will resist the shortcuts to a fully integrated life. Let my focus be on delivering value into the lives of others. Let my measure be the freedom to deliver a useful blessing.
“Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.” 1Tim 6:9
