Frasier Crane and King Solomon

I was up too early one morning and happened to tune into an episode of Frasier. I didn’t watch the show very often when it originally aired, even though it was incredibly popular and won more than thirty Emmy awards. It was a spin-off of the Cheers show, which I didn’t watch either. I was busy with babies and toddlers during the Cheers seasons and racing around with school-age kids during the Frasier years. To be honest, those were not shows that I wanted influencing the young minds I was called to raise.  

The Hallmark Channel runs those shows now during the wee hours of the morning, and that’s why an early morning episode caught my attention. There’s a reason Frasier won so many awards. The dialogue is clever and often thought-provoking. The scripts are well written, and the character’s parts are performed with perfection. The show is definitely about the world, from a worldly perspective. 

The episode that caught my attention that morning was titled “Frasier’s Edge,” and it was from the show’s eighth season. Dr. Frasier Crane finds out he will be awarded a “Lifetime Achievement Award” and experiences a midlife crisis as a result. The show ends with Frasier showing up at the last minute to accept his award and saying to the crowd, “I just don’t know what I will do with the rest of my life now.” It was a somber and thought-filled moment in an otherwise funny sitcom. The show ends with Frasier leaving the stage and everyone present just watching him walk away. 

As I sat in the dark thinking about that episode, my thoughts went instantly to King Solomon. I was surprised to realize that Frasier and King Solomon had quite a bit in common! 

Frasier and King Solomon comparisons

  • Both were wealthy men with a privileged life.
  • Both had more than one wife and an unsettled family situation.
  • Both were highly intelligent, ambitious, hardworking, and well-spoken.
  • Both were always searching for the next great thing to understand or acquire.

The reason I liked this particular episode is that Frasier can’t understand why he isn’t more excited to receive his Lifetime Achievement Award, so he goes to see his mentor in the field of psychiatry for some answers. His mentor leads Frasier to see and understand some truths about himself he didn’t realize. Frasier, looking back on all the reasons he is getting this award, isn’t impressed with the truth of his life’s achievements. 

King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes at the end of his life. His mentor was God, his Creator. It isn’t uncommon for people to read the first chapter of Ecclesiastes and decide, “I believe I will come back to this some other time.” I am a huge fan of this book because it contains wisdom that applies to every human being, regardless of their age, culture, generation, and season of life.  

Biblical wisdom is profound because it is wisdom that inspired believers in the Old Testament, was quoted by the teachers of the New Testament, and was studied by theologians like Martin Luther and John Calvin. That same biblical wisdom has been preached and taught by people like Billy Graham, his daughter Anne Lotz, Stuart and Jill Briscoe, and generations of believers, past and present. The Bible is inspiration to everyone, even a blogger/teacher like me. The words of Ecclesiastes have been true throughout history and will always be truth for people of faith. 

Frasier and King Solomon learned the same lesson 

Frasier had reached a place in his life where he was chosen to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a popular radio show host who provided valuable information to those who listened. But the award prompted Frasier to consider whether or not that should be thought of as high achievement. Frasier was dissatisfied with his conclusions and sought out his mentor for advice. 

King Solomon wrote, “I the preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:12–14). 

Both Frasier Crane’s and King Solomon’s achievements were highly esteemed in this world by others, but when they considered their own lives, they realized their achievements were only a “striving after wind.” 

King Solomon’s advice for Frasier Crane 

Frasier’s mentor had some good words to share with him, but those words only made Frasier feel worse about his award. Dr. Crane would have benefitted a great deal if his mentor had taught him King Solomon’s advice. 

Ecclesiastes 12 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Sometimes when life tilts my priorities, I run back to King Solomon as my “mentor.” As a young king, Solomon had asked God for wisdom and God granted his request. Solomon achieved more than almost anyone who has ever lived. Some estimate King Solomon’s net worth today would be about 200 billion dollars. But, at the end of his life, King Solomon realized that all he had achieved was only a “chasing of the wind.” 

Solomon concluded the book of Ecclesiastes with advice born of wisdom, experience, and the Spirit of God. His words would have been perfect advice for Frasier Crane, and they remain perfect advice for every human, regardless of their generation or circumstances. Solomon likely wrote these wise words about himself, the preacher, or the teacher. 

Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:9–14). 

If it matters eternally, it matters most

I’ve been a student and teacher of God’s word for a long time now. King Solomon’s words are a lesson for every child of God to know and share with others. A believer’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” will be the eternal reward bestowed on us in heaven. I often say, “If it won’t matter eternally, it shouldn’t matter very much now.” Those words are easier to say than they are to live. 

It is surprising to realize the many things we value on earth will have no value in heaven. I think it was Ruth Graham who described gold as just pavement in heaven.  

The key to happiness and satisfaction may very well be in adopting King Solomon’s wisdom as our daily perspective. If we live in awe of God and obey his commands, we will have accomplished our whole duty as a human being.  

Our treasure in heaven is the only achievement goal for this lifetime because it is the only goal that will matter eternally. Frasier accepted a trophy to put on a shelf. We will accept a crown to lay at the feet of Jesus. 

How will that ambition make a difference today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your lifetime?

Dear, Lord: I’m ready to listen

Note: I’ll be taking the month of July off from blog writing to focus on a project that will release in 2025. I hope you will enjoy some of my previous articles about God’s wisdom and why we need it in our daily lives.

Dear, Lord: I’m ready to listen.

Those are words God longs to hear.

How much of your time with God is spent listening to him? 

When does the Lord interrupt your thoughts with one of his? 

Our greatest need for prayer isn’t the requests we lay before him. The answers we most need are often to questions we would never think to ask. God knows our requests before we make them and wants to listen to our words anyway. Even more, God would love the opportunity to author your prayers, according to his will. 

If improving your prayer life is one of your spiritual goals this year, I would suggest this thought. 

Simply bow before your Father and say, “Dear, Lord: I’m ready to listen.” 

What are you listening for? 

When my boys were young their constant noise filled our home. I learned to work and study with that noise in the background. The thing that sparked my attention wasn’t their sounds of play but rather those moments when there were no sounds at all. Complete silence pulled me away from my work and down the hall to check on them. 

God listens to his children all day, every day. What if God waits to speak until he knows we are ready to listen?  

God is a perfect Father and doesn’t set his children up to sin. As I’ve often said, if God issues a word of direction, it is not a suggestion. If we don’t obey God’s word of direction, then we have sinned. God wouldn’t give his direction to a person who wasn’t listening because ignoring God would be a sin. 

When it seems God’s voice has grown quiet in our lives then we need to grow quiet before God. We need to pause and pray, “Please, Lord: I’m ready to listen now.” When we pray, we aren’t listening for answers to our prayers as much as we are listening for the answers God wants us to pray for. 

You can recognize God’s voice 

I tried to find out how many times God spoke in the Bible but never determined a reliable answer. Truthfully, all of Scripture is God’s word. But there are times in the Bible where it specifically says, “And God said” or “The Lord spoke, saying.” Sometimes we wonder if the voice was audible, but we never need to wonder whether the person knew it was God speaking. 

That is how we should feel about every word of our Bibles. 

When we read God’s word, we are hearing his voice. But God did not quit speaking to the world when Bibles were printed and made available. God gave us his Holy Spirit so that we could live closely with his voice of direction. 

When the Holy Spirit guides our thoughts and directs our path, it is according to God’s word and will for our lives. 

We hear the same voice Paul heard

The apostle Paul knew some of the people who had walked with Jesus during his earthly ministry. Those people had heard the actual voice of Jesus when they listened to him teach. I’ve often wondered if their thoughts were filled with the earthly voice of Jesus at times.  

The apostle Paul heard Jesus speak to him on the road to Damascus, and he apparently spent a great deal of time listening to that voice for the rest of his life. Paul was writing to the Philippians when he said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). 

Paul had accomplished a lot by the time he’d been sent to Rome and placed under house arrest. He wrote his letter to the Philippians during his time in Rome, yet his heart’s desire was still to know Jesus. Perhaps it was his desire to know God that allowed Paul to become the one to write and record so much of our important Christian theology.  

Are you ready to listen for that voice today? 

When do you desire “to know Jesus” as Luke, James, John, and Paul knew him? 

The voice of Jesus is just as real today as it was for those living in the first century. 

Our great goal for prayer

We have been gifted with everything we need in order to personally know the God of the universe and walk with his Presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. 

To pray in God’s will simply means to pray as God leads you toward all that he wants for your life. When we pray the words of Scripture, we pray with the knowledge of God. When we pray as the Spirit leads us, we pray for those things God wants us to know and do. 

To “pray without ceasing” means that we walk so closely with God’s Spirit that his voice of direction is easy to discern. We walk through our lives attuned to whatever the Lord may speak into our thoughts to direct, encourage, or convict. 

Our great goal for prayer is to live with a constant readiness to listen for the thoughts and direction of Jesus. He is present in your life and waiting for you to say, “I’m listening.” 

One of my favorite quotes is from an English theologian and hymn writer by the name of Frederick Faber. When I read his words about listening to God from the 1800s, they profoundly spoke to me. Biblical wisdom transcends time and culture. I hope his words will speak to you today. 

Faber wrote, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out of the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God.” 

Let’s all pray for those whisperings of God and say, “Dear, Lord: I’m ready to listen.”

Who are your forever friends?

Last week, through tears, I looked at a crowd of women who will be friends forever. I may not see them each week, but I will think of them often on Thursday mornings, knowing they are together for Bible study. As I told them, it isn’t hard to go, it’s just hard to leave.

Life is supposed to move forward with new adventures, new friendships, and new directions from God. We have the opportunity to know a lot of people throughout our lives. Some we call friends and others acquaintances. 

For all of us, there are people who will be friends forever. 

Who are your forever friends?

The last lesson I taught was from Revelation 1 and 22. I love the book of Revelation, and it is the only book of the Bible that promises to bless the people who read it and “take [it] to heart” (Revelation 1:3 NIV). In other words, those who read the Revelation and “keep what is written in it” (v. 3 ESV) will have a blessed life now and eternally. 

Revelation 22 redefines our idea of family. All of us have an earthly family that is precious to us, but we won’t define “family” the same way in heaven. Hopefully, all of our earthly family will be there, but realistically we know that isn’t always true.

Chapter 22 provides a picture of what our lives will be like in heaven and redefines family eternally. The Apostle John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos when Jesus came to him and told him to write these things down and to make them known to the churches. The angel provided this picture of heaven that we, the church, are to think about. Consider the words of Revelation 22:1–5, knowing they will be a blessing to you now and eternally: 

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

I pointed out these things to my class last week: 

  • The river of life flows from the “throne” of God and of the Lamb. The triune God, the Holy Trinity, is the source of everything in heaven. There is one throne, one Godhead, One to worship.
  • The tree of life lives and thrives on both sides of the river and the leaves are for the healing of the nations. There will always be wars and divisions on earth. There will be none in heaven.
  • Nothing is accursed in heaven. God cursed the land after the Fall and now there are plants like thorns and thistles. We live with storms, droughts, floods, and earthquakes. Our planet is not perfect and never will be. Heaven will be perfect because nothing eternal is “accursed.”
  • Everyone in heaven will see the face of God. We will see the One we worship and dwell in his Presence. Every moment will be peace, contentment, health, joy, and love.
  • His “name” will be written on our foreheads. His name, his character, will “mark” every person in heaven. We will be given that “new name” and we will all know we are forever the family of God.

The friends we will have forever are the friends we will call our family in heaven. We will have all of eternity to spend time with them, laugh with them, enjoy their stories, and share eternal joys with one another. Our earthly lives are the way we meet those people now who, someday, we will enjoy in heaven. 

An earthly goal with eternal rewards

Jesus taught us how to live on earth so that our eternal life would be rich with reward. His life was our example to follow. Jesus gave his followers an important commandment. Jesus said: 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:12–15). 

God provided us our example, his own Son, so we can live our lives on earth with eternal goals. We can look at the life of Christ and know the life that God wants for us as well. When we study the words of Christ, we can’t ignore that God’s children are called to lay down their lives for friends too. In fact, we are commanded to live with that goal. 

Each day we share the same earthly goal Christ had when he walked on this earth. Jesus came to help people know God and live eternally in heaven. 

Love one another, as Jesus loved us

What is the best way to be like Christ and fulfill his commands? 

We need to pray to be filled with the love of God so that we have his love for others. “Greater love” has no one until they are filled with the love of God. 

We know what Jesus would do, and those thoughts provide his perspective for the people around us. Jesus didn’t call us “servants;” he called us friends. Jesus said, “I have made known to you all that I have heard from my Father.” 

We know our goal in this life is to help people become our forever friends. Those people will not just be our friends in heaven; they will also be our family. 

Whom do you love here on earth that needs to become your forever friend in heaven? 

We have a higher goal than simply enjoying people’s friendships on earth. If we truly love them, we will want them to belong to our family, forever. 

Take a moment and pray by name for those friends who still need salvation in Christ. Jesus will “make known” to you your next steps. He wants those people to be your forever friends too.

The newness of life

Those of us who live in Texas are already enjoying the beginning of spring. The trees have begun to bud and the bulbs are shooting up with the promise of the flowers we will soon enjoy. And the ground is covered with pollen making everyone sneeze. (Not everything is perfect about spring in Texas!)

It’s hard not to smile when we look around at all God is able to produce from the earth, shrubs, and trees that only a few weeks ago looked dead. God’s creation is one of the best illustrations of God’s character. He is represented in all four seasons because each has a unique meaning and purpose for our lives. 

Jesus spoke with the Apostle John on the island of Patmos saying, “I am making everything new!” Then Jesus told John, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5). Jesus had just told John about the perfection of heaven and all that God’s people could look forward to when they gained their eternal lives. Jesus told John to write down all that he said about heaven because his words were “trustworthy and true.” 

Imagine the hope those words gave John, an elderly man living in exile and enduring hardship and pain each day. No matter what we possess on earth, it doesn’t compare with the riches of heaven. No matter what we face in our earthly lives, we have a great and powerful hope because of Christ. 

Our lives have seasons too

God is always inching us closer to heaven, the place where we will truly have the peace-filled life he wants for us. Heaven is the place where we will finally comprehend how much we are loved by our Creator.  

The hope of heaven is as real as the hope of each spring. Aren’t you glad we can celebrate Easter this time of year? God’s timing is exquisite. Jesus “looked” dead when they placed his body in the tomb, but the only thing that had died was the power of sin. Christians emerge from the baptismal waters to witness to the world that they have been made new.  

Our faith practices shout to the world that Jesus was raised from the dead and, through faith, that can be true for everyone. Each spring season is the chance to remember we are one year closer to our final, eternal rebirth. 

A new focus

I like this quote from a character named Socrates in Way of the Peaceful Warrior: “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” 

Most of us look forward to each season and the promise of change. As wonderful as spring is, we look forward to the warm days of summer. When we grow tired of the heat and dried-up flowers, we are presented with the amazing colors of the fall. And, after the fullness of the fall season fades and the lights of the holidays are boxed up, we rejoice at the quiet simplicity of the winter months. 

When we embrace the changes in life, we enjoy the God who provides each season. This world is a reminder that change is an inevitable gift provided by our unchanging God. God never changes because he is perfect and doesn’t need to change. Our world tells a much different story.  

It’s good to gain a new focus with each season of the year and with every season of our lives. God will always step into our plans with his will to “make everything new” again. His plan is to prosper us and not to harm us as Jeremiah 29:11 makes clear.  

God gave us this season

It might surprise you to know that I struggle every Easter to embrace the joy. I’m actually grateful for the Monday after Easter Sunday. It breaks my heart to remember all that Jesus endured to provide for our celebration. In many ways, the Easter story is about the price paid for our sins. I’m sad Easter Sunday was necessary. I don’t ever want to forget that the majority of the Easter story was incredibly difficult for everyone who loved Jesus. 

We can’t know the depth of God’s love for us until we understand the depth of his commitment to us. God gave us his Son. God gave us Easter. God gave us spring as our annual reminder that only he can give life to what was dead. 

God holds our future. He doesn’t reveal it.

The disciples would probably describe the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday as the most difficult week of their lives. In the space of one week, joy turned to fear, fear to distress, distress to anguish, and then anguish to uncertainty. It would be a while before uncertainty turned to joy. Our future will have each of those emotions as well. 

I like this quote from the Christian author Bob Goff: “Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later.” It might be a surprise to some but the title is often the most difficult part of what we author. Oftentimes, my title changes as a blog post, Bible study, or book evolves. 

The same is true with life. We think we know our direction and then God guides us to a different place. How is your life different from your past thoughts, goals, or dreams? 

God doesn’t reveal our future but instead holds it in the palm of his hand. He feeds our life with breadcrumbs, one direction at a time. Christians know our destination, but we each have our own path to take in order to arrive there.  

We know the next season will come, but we don’t know what we will be doing when it arrives. As Bob Goff suggested, we should “embrace” the uncertainty. Each chapter can’t really be titled until it has been lived. 

Enjoy spring but meditate on Easter

Once again, Jesus is making all things new. Enjoy watching the trees bud and the bulbs send out their flowers. But, don’t forget to grab a tissue before your afternoon walk. It’s spring (at least here in Texas)! If you live in Wyoming, think of this blog post as a promise for your future. 

For all of us, it’s time to do some deep thinking about all this season meant to our Lord. Jesus came so that one day we could leave this changing world and enter the perfection God has always wanted for his creation.  

Let every hint of spring serve to remind us that God can give life to what was dead. Let’s embrace the changes of life and the newness of each season knowing that each one moves us a little closer to our promise of eternal joy. 

Jesus said, “I am making everything new!” 

Those words are trustworthy truth all of us can embrace.