God’s Servant for Good (5)

“Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” 2 Chronicles 1.9, 10

Wise officials?
“Wisdom” is not a word often heard in association with those who hold public office in America.

“Wasteful”, “wishy-washy”, “waffling”, and “weasely” are a few “w” words that do come to mind. But wisdom seems to be a rare commodity in the public square.

Solomon was a great king throughout the early years of his reign because he sought and received wisdom to rule the nation of Israel well. Only when Solomon’s selflessness gave way to self-interest did his wisdom begin to decline and, finally, evaporate altogether.

What is wisdom?
But who would not like to have wise public officials? What do we mean by “wisdom” anyway?

Wisdom is that virtue which is able to put knowledge into practice in ways that honor God and benefit other human beings. Making decisions about public policy is what public officials do, and, since public policy unfolds in the sight of God and, at least ostensibly, for the sake of the public weal, we should hope and work to make sure, as far as possible, that our public servants are wise.

How do we do this?

First, we should look for people who are seeking wisdom. Wisdom is coupled with knowledge in our text, so it stands to reason that one who is expected to act wisely will have a rich store of relevant information, and a few trusted advisors, to help him in formulating policy.

But wisdom is also linked with prayer in our text. We are not likely to find a wise person to rule over us who does not actively seek the Lord for wisdom in knowing how to govern well. We should not hesitate to ask our public officials and candidates for office about their practice of prayer – and to recommend they make good use of it.

We should also make sure that our public servants understand the limits of politics and government (we’ll have more to say about this later in this series). A wise person will not try to make something do more than it can. Government can’t do everything. It can’t meet every need, change human hearts, or do a lot of things that are best left to institutions like the family, the market, and the Church. Wise politicians know to get out of the way in areas where government is inefficient and wasteful, so that those who know better can do the job properly.

Wisdom can also be found by maintaining contact with great figures and periods from the past. Taking pot-shots at America’s history has become a kind of national pastime with the politically-correct crowd, and it’s easy for politicians and public servants to conclude that reading, studying, or citing America’s, and the world’s, past leaders or times of greatness can sound hollow and might even rile certain supporters to indignation.

 Nevertheless, America did not become a great nation without a good deal of wisdom from past leaders. They are fools, not wise, who ignore the lessons of history.

Political skill
Truly wise public servants also understand that they work for the public, not their particular political party. Developing skills in bipartisan policy-making, being willing to criticize and correct members of one’s own party, and resisting the temptation to denounce and decry every achievement of or proposal made by the other side are also marks of wisdom.

Voters can easily enough let candidates and office-holders know that they value wisdom beyond mere self-interest, and they expect their officials to work hard at becoming wise so that they can govern in a way that pleases God and benefits all.

Wisdom doesn’t come easily. We must work hard to attain it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111.10), so we should be especially vigilant to encourage our public officials not to neglect their duty in seeking the Lord, in Whose Name they take their oath of office.

The government we seek must be a wise government, and wisdom is a gift from God to all who seek it.

Next steps: What would you describe as some examples of wise government in our country at this time? What makes these wise? Talk with a Christian friend about these questions.

T. M. Moore

We’re pleased to bring ReVision to you daily, and ReVision studies each week in PDF at no charge. Please visit our website, www.ailbe.org to learn about the many study topics available. Your gifts to The Fellowship of Ailbe make this ministry possible. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

This week’s study, God’s Servant for Good, is part 2 of a 5-part series on The King’s Heart, a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s book The Kingship of Jesus  to supplement our studies of God and government..

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.