1 Kings 12

What a beautiful little nugget there is tucked away in this chapter of 1 Kings. Solomon has died, and his son Rehoboam has taken over the throne in Israel. The people—who had endured hard labor under Solomon—came to Rehoboam and asked him to ease up on them a bit. After asking for some time to think it over, Rehoboam consulted his father’s advisers. This is the advice they gave him: "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." (vs 7)

They were advising Rehoboam to be a servant, first and foremost. And they said that if he would choose to serve, he would always be served in return. This is exactly what God is like! He is a servant, first and foremost. And His service to us awakens within us the desire to be more like Him. Thus, in God’s ideal plan, He serves His creation, and His creation serves Him... and both sides try to outdo one another in service.

This is just one example of how God’s ways are everlasting. Love creates these types of never-ending cycles—where being a servant will engender service in return. And we can see, in the case of Rehoboam, how the opposite scenario works. When we prioritize self instead of others, it leads to strife and chaos. In a scenario like that, nothing is everlasting, as things get destroyed pretty quickly.

As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, love will never end. God’s ways are everlasting, and as we learn from Him how to treat ourselves and others, we will continually discover the wisdom of His ways.