Marriage Lessons We Can Learn From a Wise King

Recently, my wife, Susan, and I were thrilled to attend the Nashville premiere of a deep, moving drama, The Song. The inspiration for the film comes from the life and writings of the ancient King Solomon, a man known in history for being the wisest of all wise men.

He wanted to do things right. He wanted to fix the messes his dad had made. And he wanted to avoid making the same mistakes he’d seen made by his dad. Of course, if you know anything about King Solomon, he proved that just because you have wisdom doesn’t always mean you’ll use it.

This great date-night film retells the life of Solomon from the viewpoint of an up-and-coming musician, played skillfully by Alan Powell. Jed King is a man on a mission … to live better than his infamous country music superstar father, and to sing about things worth singing about. He wants to find true love. He wants to do something meaningful.

And he wants to live life right … and really live.

But just like the ancient king, Jed finds himself craving more: more fans, more money, more fame, more meaning and love in all the wrong places.

Here are some life lessons we can learn from an ancient king and a rock star:

We must listen to our spouse and watch for signals they’re giving us.
We are all tempted, but we don’t have to give in to temptation.
It’s easy to justify doing something wrong by thinking it is being done for the right reasons.
Love wins.

In the movie, Jed practically begs his wife to come with him on his music tour, but she brushes him off saying she has too many responsibilities at home. He knows he’s being tempted by another band member and needs his wife with him.

It’s so important to really listen to our spouses in their struggles against temptation and keep open lines of communication about any temptations that come our way.

I won’t give away the decision Jed made in the movie relating to the woman who tried to seduce him, but remember … just because we are tempted doesn’t mean we have to give in to temptation. There is always a way of escape.

In the movie, Jed shares with his wife that he needs to be on the road more because he is helping and inspiring people with his music. And he’s providing a “better life” for his family. But the life he starts leading is not helping others, and being absent from his home is certainly not better for his wife and kids.

King Solomon and Jed King both found that fame, fortune, power and pleasure will never really satisfy. Only love will … loving God and loving others, especially our spouses and children.

I hope you’ll see this awesome film. And, when you do, please let me know what you think and what you learned. In the meantime, please share your comments below.

Mark Merrill is the president of Family First. For the original article, visit markmerrill.com.