Anyone who has been through the muck of life in any significant way tends to have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when they reach the other side. The heart is hardened some. Defense mechanisms are created and are maintained in the background operating system of the subconscious. And then pride often comes in like the silent slither of a poisonous snake. Waiting.
That’s the thing with the muck – it can simultaneously lead you to repentance and it can plant a seed of pride in the depths of your heart. The muck can destroy your trust in people. It shows you who is really there for you. And sometimes you find that it’s a select few. Other times you find that it’s one. Other times you find that it’s none.
The Danger of Success and “Growing Up”
Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son and heir to the throne of Israel, put himself through the muck. As he was taking over for his father, the people of Israel were pleading with him for lower taxes and less manual labor. Rehoboam, a young whipper snapper did the right thing at first. He went to his father’s advisors who were seasoned vets and knew how to help govern a people. They gave him great advice. [shareable]Pride often comes in like the silent slither of a poisonous snake. Waiting.[/shareable]
But then… I’m sure, in an effort to establish his own throne and way of doing things, he went to his friends for advice. They told him more of what he wanted to hear! Don’t lower the taxes, make them worse. Make sure they know who’s boss!
Well, Rehoboam listened to his friends and subsequently split the kingdom of Israel in two. Can you imagine taking over the family business that consists of twelve locations and then within a year you only have two left? And it was all your fault! Quite the muck you put yourself in, eh?
Fast Forward
Once the dust settled, a leader of the northern kingdom that revolted against Rehoboam had risen up – Jeroboam (I wonder if their parents shared a hospital room – you know… similar names). Rehoboam wasn’t happy so he began assembling his armies to go and take the other tribes and now separate kingdom back by force. And then this happened:
2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God:3 “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam, when it came time to listen to God, showed himself faithful. He listened to the Lord. He then began building fortified cities all throughout Judah (the southern kingdom that he reigned over).
[callout]When the kingdom of Israel split into two during Rehoboam’s leadership, the two kingdoms became known as Israel and Judah. Israel was in the north and Judah was in the south. The line of King David (the line that later brings us Jesus) was in the southern kingdom – Judah.[/callout]
Success and “Growing Up”
When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. – 2 Chronicles 12:1
See what happened when Rehoboam got through the muck? He came out on the other side with strength, success (establishing his rule was quite the success given how things went from the beginning), and an amount of pride that made him believe that he could abandon God – the One who put him on the throne in the first place.
Rehoboam fooled himself into thinking that he had this thing figured out. He seemed to think that after a few years of being king, he didn’t need to follow God’s ways. Maybe he felt like a self-made man. Maybe he felt like he was the one who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, dealt with rejection, and still established his reign over a kingdom.
Oh, how we do the very same thing!
Especially those of us who have been through the muck. We’ve had to learn to push through difficulty. We’ve had to deal with being abandoned by those closest to us. We’ve developed a subconscious vetting system when interacting with new people so that we can protect ourselves from hurt.
Survivors of the muck can begin to think that they got through the muck because of their own perseverance and will power. All the while forgetting that it was God who delivered us – just like Rehoboam. All the while forgetting that it was God who gave us this thing called life – just like Rehoboam. All the while forgetting God altogether.
Then throw some success and “growing up” on top of it? A recipe for disaster. When you’ve gone through difficulty and then you eventually become strong and established, you can easily fool yourself into thinking that you’re the man (or woman)!
The established and strong are headed for a dreadful fall because eventually their trust in themselves will break. It’s only a matter of time before the established and strong realize that their establishment is fragile and their strength is fleeting. [shareable]The established and strong are headed for a dreadful fall because eventually their trust in themselves will break.[/shareable]
A Better Path
So why not avoid the unfortunate detour? For those of you who know what I’m talking about when I refer to the muck, please hear me out: it’s easy for us to begin trusting in our own methods of survival, but you and I both know, deep down, that it’s all an act. We mask our fear with our pride and hope for the best. So why don’t we just admit it, trust God’s ways, and see what happens?
I think that’s the better path.
Let’s walk together, muck survivors.
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