That Doesn't Just HappenSample

Margins are like guardrails. They keep you from falling off the cliff! It’s hard to imagine the obligations Solomon piled up in his quest for more and more. Things like all the palaces, the temple, the Hall of Pillars, the Hall of Justice, the fleet of ships and all the harbors they required, and all the stables for his thousands of horses and chariots. Then there were the 200 large shields made of hammered gold, weighing at least 15 pounds each; another 300 smaller shields of gold weighing nearly four pounds apiece; and Solomon’s huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. Plus, the shrines that he built to please his wives (who prayed to different gods than his). All these projects put a great strain on the economy of Israel. They proved to be difficult to financially sustain, which is why taxes increased and the people groaned.

If you remember nothing else about Solomon’s demise, remember this: Just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should. Companies that expand too quickly, churches that build too soon, and entrepreneurs who are eager to take advantage of opportunity without realistically scaling their business—we are all susceptible to making such errors. How the wisest man in the world could not balance his budget, I do not know. But this much I do know: We would do well to learn from the latter half of Solomon’s life, so that we can build to last and ultimately, finish better.