Have you ever considered plotting out your life on a line graph? What would you measure? What data would you track? How would you define “success” or “failure”? If your life could be laid out on a simple graph, what would it look like?
Now, before I go further, let’s deal with some obvious things. In general, line graphs are pretty simple, pretty straightforward. Typically, they measure two variables and that is it. For instance, a common line graph that is used at the doctor’s office (especially when you are young and growing) is age vs. height. Age will be plotted along the X-axis (the one that runs horizontally across the bottom…for those of us who haven’t been in math class for a while), and height will be plotted along the Y-axis (the one that runs vertically). As the years pass and data is entered, the line graph can easily demonstrate an average growth rate. When someone is a year old, they are ___ tall, when they are two, they are ___ tall. On and on it goes, the line increasing upward until it plateaus. This type of information is helpful, especially if you compare it to averages. Lay an individual line graph over a chart of averages, and voila. You can reasonably predict how tall your kid is going to be. (In our experience, we’ve been raising someone who is on track to be pretty tall. He’s always been at the top of that graph, and we haven’t seen him slowing down yet.) Line graphs are beneficial. They can be a helpful, visual aid in looking at your life and how it compares to others and to general trends.
Though line graphs are beneficial, they are also limited. Two sets of data. Not a lot of complexity. Helpful and simple, but incomplete…especially when dealing with people. Sure a line graph can show growth and be used to get a reasonable expectation for the future, but it doesn’t show any other factors. For instance, what if Silas stopped liking food and didn’t eat for a long time? How would that effect his overall height? Or, what if he happened to find some kind of super-food that he really, really liked and it had some kind of positive growth effect?
You get the idea. We are complex people who live in complex environments. Simple tools like line graphs are helpful, but incomplete. Get it? Good. Let’s move on. Back to something that helps us get closer to the point.
Recently, the Bible-reading plan that I use has had me reading in 1 Samuel. Right now, I’m reading about the life of King Saul. Saul’s story is one that I have read before. The account of his life is one with which I have some familiarity, and yet, I am always struck by the trajectory of his life. I am always saddened and caught off guard by the path that Saul followed. In particular, I am effected by two different trends that are evidenced within his life. His relationship with God & his humility. These two things are what often stand out for me with King Saul, and for some reason, this time I thought about them in terms of some line graphs. This isn’t how I usually think or process things, but hey…let’s see how it works.
First, let’s look at Saul’s humility.
In the beginning of his story, Saul was described as a humble guy. In fact, when the prophet Samuel told him that he was to be king, this is how he responded:
“But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”
~ 1 Samuel 9:21
When God uses Samuel to tell Saul that he is called, that he has a job, that he is to be king, Saul responds as many first do to God…with humility. Who am I? I am not worthy of such a task. I am not deserving of such a call. God, how could you use me? Me?
Saul begins his journey as king with a mentionable dose of humility. Somewhere within him, he knows that he is not worthy of this role, of this honor. He is not deserving of the calling of God upon his life. For arguments sake, let’s give Saul a “100%” humility ranking at the start. No, he wasn’t 100% humble, but let’s give him that ranking right at the beginning of his calling.
Then, let’s look further down the path. Let’s look at Saul somewhere in the middle of his calling, during his reign as a king. How would his humility rank then?
Quite frankly? His humility tanked. Rapidly. Though we don’t know a lot about the timeframe or what happened previously, look at what it says in 1 Samuel 13. (Just so we are familiar with the timeline in 1 Samuel, Saul was called by God in Chapter 9, Anointed and made king in Chapter 10, Rescues a city and is confirmed king in Chapter 11. Samuel makes an address in Chapter 12, and then we get to Chapter 13. Some time has passed as Jonathan, Saul’s son, is now in the picture and is fighting alongside Saul in battle.)
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.
~ 1 Samuel 13:8-9
At this point, Saul had been given directions by God to wait for Samuel’s arrival before an offering would be made for the Lord. Saul chose not to wait. He looked at the circumstances of his men beginning to scatter. He looked around for Samuel and thought that God had not come through. He looked at himself. And…he took matters into his own hands. No longer did he view himself as some little Benjamite unable to fulfill the calling of God. Instead, Saul acted as if God was the One who could not follow through with His plans. Saul was the only one that was able to make things right. Saul was the only one who could act. Now, instead of being humble before the Lord and waiting as God directed, Saul was taking matters into his own hands without regarding what God had said. He was even willing to step outside of his role as king and take up the role of king and priest. Humility rating? 10% at best.
Now, when we tank we have the opportunity to bounce back, the chance to rectify our situation. We fall off of the diet wagon, we have the chance to get back onto it. We stumble in our Bible reading, we have the chance to start again. I believe that Saul had the chance to humble himself before the Lord, to ask God to work within his heart to make him humble once more, to rectify this flaw that came up in his life. Unfortunately, Saul did not choose that path. Instead, in general, he continued on a downward path in terms of humility.
As Saul’s humility waned and his pride grew, he became so infatuated with maintaining his kingdom, his rule, his position of authority that he openly fought against God. Saul became so prideful that he would stop at nothing to secure his place on the throne. Not only did he threaten and chase after David, the one who was anointed to be his successor, but he also punished anyone who helped David along the way…even if they were servants of the Lord.
Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”
~ 1 Samuel 22:17
“Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David.” This is Saul? The one who started by saying he was not worthy? The one who started by saying that he was a nobody from a small tribe? The one who started in humility? Now, he is at the point where he is not only willing to step outside of the boundaries put forth by God in terms of the timing and the offering of sacrifices, he is actively killing those who would support David, even if they are priests of God. Humility rating? 0%.
If plotted on a line graph, Saul’s humility plot might look something like this:
Granted, there would be little blips and bumps, times when he acted with more humility than others. Still, in over-simplified terms, Saul’s perceived humility started off great and decreased rapidly over the course of his reign as king.
Do you know what else happened?
His relationship with God took the same path, followed the same trajectory. As his humility decreased, his relationship with God decreased…so much so that towards the end of his life, Saul said this:
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams.”
~ 1 Samuel 28:15
Saul, who was once chosen by God and spoken to through the prophet Samuel had now come to the point where his relationship with God was in shatters. The line graph for this data would look remarkably similar.
Of course, you can’t really say what caused what. Did his lack of humility cause the relationship to suffer? Yes. Did the relationship suffering cause a lack of humility? Yes. These two things were inter-related. Not only that, but the graphs and the comparison over-simplify the complex nature of Saul’s life. Regardless, Saul who started in humility, ended in pride. He who started in dependence, in relationship with God, ended in independence and separation.
What about you? What about your life? What data would you plot? What are the significant factors that you are tracking? What would a line graph of your life indicate? How is your humility? How is your pride? How is your relationship? Are there areas that are decreasing that need to be turned around?
My prayer is that we would learn from Saul. I pray that we would seek God will all of our heart, that we would serve the Lord in humility all of our days. My prayer is that our line graph for humility and for our relationship with God would show just the opposite of Saul, and that we would ever be increasing in them both as we fulfill our calling and grow in love of Christ.
~ Pastor Chris
