Your kingdom come, Your will be done

1 Kings 6:38 - 7:1

"He took seven years building [the temple]. It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace."

In the Lord's prayer, Christ taught us to pray that God the Father's kingdom would come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray it every week at my church and I attempt to pray a variation of the prayer every night before I go to bed, at least to remind myself that God has chosen me, along with the rest of His people, to be part of His advancing kingdom. But as I read about Solomon, wise King Solomon whose splendor is legendary, I am reminded of how easily I fall into placing my kingdom above Gods. Certainly I pray and I speak of God's glory, praising Him for the things He has given me, but I am so often side tracked by yearning for praise that my efforts are soiled. Motivation is as important as action, and I find myself wanting to be godly because it will earn the praise of those around me, rather than earning praise for the One who is refining me, the One who died so that I could be redeemed in the first place. I am just like Solomon and his palace, building up that which is for me rather than using all of my efforts for that which will glorify God. I am so thankful for this story, for the warning to flee from such frivolous pursuits. Like Solomon's palace, the kingdom I build will vanish one day, blown away never to be remembered, but God's kingdom is eternal, God's kingdom will carry on. My prayer is that I will work to advance His kingdom and not my own, and by His mercy and grace my motivation will begin to change.