DATE: Wednesday 1 July 2026
TOPIC: “THINKING YOU ARE TOO SMART TO BE CORRECTED – 1”
TEXT: 1 Kings 12:1-20
MEMORY VERSE: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise person listens to advice.” Prov. 12:15.
Romans 12:3 states: “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (NLT)
The warning from Apostle Paul in the text above is very instructive. The mind of every man paints a picture of who they are or how they want to be perceived. When anyone thinks of himself as better than everyone else or cannot be instructed and corrected by anyone else, it is a very harmful way to picture oneself.
The story from our main text today x-rays the way King Rehoboam thought of himself. What he thought of himself determined the decisions and actions he took. This thought pattern or picture was the reason for his fall as a young and very privileged king. We can learn a lot from his mistakes. One cannot be separated from his or her thought pattern. Proverbs 23:7 states that “…for as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” Let us highlight some lessons from his life and his leadership:
Story Insight #1: The pride of King Rehoboam made him reject wise counsel from the older men who served his father King Solomon and as a result was rejected as king by the people he was born to lead. 1kings 12:7-8
Lesson 1: Servant leadership gives a leader the heart of the people.
The art of leadership begins with the heart of the leader. When a leader is proud and pompous, he cannot lead well. This is because no human can see their own back therefore, everyone is limited. This is why it is important to listen to counsel when corrected. Giving attentive ears to counsel is one characteristic of good leaders. They listen and are able to decide better on how to lead and serve with wise counsel. When someone feels that they are wise in their own eyes, they will fall into a ditch unknowing to them. Prov.3:7.
King Rehoboam rejected the wise counsel given to him by elders. He chose to be a tyrant. Pride does not reside in the place of servant leadership. God distances himself from proud people. (Psalm 138:6) Thinking you are better than others is only a figment of your imagination and self-deceit, so drop it!
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly father, I receive the grace to discern which counsel to take and which one to reject. Help me to remain humble and accessible to helpful counsels at all times in Jesus’ name, Amen.