Solomon and the two 'mothers' 

1 Kings 3 

26. The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" 
27. Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." 
28. When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 

What does wisdom have to do with understanding human nature? How could Solomon have such insight into human nature and apparently so little insight into his own nature? How about you...how much do you truly understand about yourself? 

I bewilder myself repeatedly. Often, and recently, I've thought, "Did I say that out loud?" or, "I can't believe I said that." All too frequently I look back over the events of the day, or evening, and am so embarrassed about my responses, or reactions to situations.

I really do feel terrible about personal responses that seem to come to the surface from some primordial muck. Where did that come from??? Is it possible that I have some deep genetic frailties and flaws from generations of genetic mess, or personality disorders, or unresolved issues that are lying beneath the surface, undetected by years of clinical studies and experience?

Am I teetering on the ragged edge of emotional stability, or am I just a human grappling with a stubbornly resilient sinful nature?

Well, the jury is still out...it could be any combination of all the above. However, I find what seems to be a kindred spirit in the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the church in Rome.  

Paul said, 'that which I would, I do not and that which I would not, I do.' Yep, that's me. Paul helped lots of people during his life, and has helped countless millions in the couple of millennia since. Yet, he felt that same frustration I feel.

Solomon seemed to have the right words and the right time. He was held in awe by those of his generation and thought to be the wisest man in his day. But what about all those relational entanglements of Solomon? What about the personal sentiments of futility, and sometimes despair, in his Ecclesiastes?

I have good news for you, if you are relating to anything I've written here. It's not a cop-out. It's a truth. The personal recognition of this brings us to a point where God can actually do something with us. Simply stated it is this - nobody is perfect.

Not me, not you, not Paul, not Solomon...nobody but Jesus, and He understands.