The Enemy of Building Relationships

Read 2 Chronicles 11.

The nation had split in two.  In the north, Jeroboam led ten of the twelve tribes and, therefore, retained the name Israel for their kingdom name.  In the south, Rehoboam was king over the tribes of Judah (the largest of the twelve) and Benjamin (the smallest of the twelve).  They used the name Judah as their kingdom name.

Rehoboam announced that he would rule harshly.  The people, not only did not comply, most of them left his kingdom.  This prompted the king to make his second foolish decision.  He mustered his army to launch civil war.  God sent Shemaiah with a message to stop.  Thankfully, this time Rehoboam listened to God's word.

The LORD handed King Rehoboam an unparalleled opportunity.  He turned it into a disaster.  His enemy was not his fellow Israelites.  His greatest enemy was himself.

Two warnings for today:
1. Beware of self-importance.  It can lead a person to abuse their position and power, whether as a spouse, a parent, an employee, or a leader.   The sin of pride easily prompts mistreatment of others.  It causes one to consider relationships as dispensable. 

2. Be aware of personal insecurities.  The sin of fear can cause a person to be just as abusive as an ego-maniac.  To defend themselves against any and all threats, insecure people often react to others abruptly, sarcastically, or harshly in order to protect themselves.

Often, it is hard to initially tell the difference.  The outcomes of broken relationships and lost opportunities can be the same.

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."  (Romans 12:3)