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?

The pursuit of peace

The best conclusion to a good argument is arriving at a place of understanding, knowing how each person involved is somewhat right and somehow wrong.

Our country is probably better off than any of us think, but, right now, it just seems like a mess. It’s the truth that will bring about permanent change, but the truth is that every side is partly right and partly wrong. 

Until all are able to speak honestly and rationally about facts, the problems will continue. 

Conflict is a normal part of life

The good news is that, throughout our history, some of the best adjustments in our thinking have taken place after arguments. 

God already has a plan to redeem the hurt, for a greater good, if we will be called to his good purpose. (Romans 8:28). 

So what is God’s purpose? 

Romans 14:19 says, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” 

I often teach that one of the most important words of a verse is the verb. Romans 14:19 teaches that we are to pursue those things that bring about peace and the mutual good of everyone. 

I expect that our country will heal—if we can recognize that everyone involved is somewhat right and somehow wrong. 

If we pursue those things that bring peace and mutual upbuilding, we can arrive at a place of change that will be based on truth. Truth will likely humble and help everyone involved. 

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). 

What is the truth?

In that same passage, Jesus tells us why complete truth evades most of us at times. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). 

Every human being is enslaved by, or controlled by, our sin natures. Our salvation gifted us with the indwelling of Christ, through his Holy Spirit. We are able to be filled with, or controlled by, his Spirit, but that is a free-will choice. 

We live in a culture that was quick to believe Oprah when she used the phrase “personal truth.” In other words, truth can be what seems right, or feels right, personally. 

It will just take a minute to think about those words and realize that “personal truth” is just another way of saying “personal opinion.” 

Truth isn’t based on what seems true or feels true to a person. Truth is not personal because it transcends opinions. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

That’s why Jesus could tell those disciples, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). 

Our daily choices are because we are enslaved to the Holy Spirit of Christ or because we are enslaved to our human nature in the moment. None of us is completely free, yet. 

As Christians, we are completely saved, but we don’t enjoy the full benefits of our salvation until heaven. 

Choose truth; choose freedom

I hope that when tempers calm, truth will be spoken by people who realize its high value. Everyone is right and everyone is wrong—because everyone is an imperfect human being. 

We are free to speak, but if we are enslaved to Christ, we are not to speak freely. If we are enslaved to Christ, we allow him to speak his words of truth, peace, and mutual upbuilding through us. 

God’s word has been changing people’s lives since the beginning of time. The freedom we all need is the freedom to live enslaved by God’s thoughts, which are the truths, spoken by his Holy Spirit, in agreement with Scripture. 

Why do people still suffer?

One of my life verses is from the book of Hosea. God spoke to the prophet Hosea during one of the darkest times in human and church history. I’ve often said that God’s words to Hosea have been the reason I keep teaching and writing. 

God told Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). 

People are being destroyed by opinions because they have rejected the knowledge of God. Jesus is their Messiah. He is the way, the truth, and the eternal life they need. And there is suffering in our world because they have forgotten the God who created and redeemed it through his Son. 

People suffer now, and will suffer eternally, if we don’t help them know God through salvation in Christ. 

The thought that prompts

If you are like me, words fail. I don’t know how to speak my thoughts well. I don’t know who to speak them to. I don’t know if I should speak at all. 

But the thought that prompts me today is the knowledge that I know the One who will always speak the truth—and the truth will set us all free from sinful thoughts, words, and actions. His word is truth and is therefore the solution to our struggles. 

People suffer when they lack knowledge of God’s truth. May the Lord help all of us quiet our opinions so Jesus can speak his truth through us. 

Let’s take time to pray Samuel’s prayer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). God speaks to servants who take time to listen. 

Maybe our words need to fail right now so we will take the time to listen for his words. 

It’s his truth that matters and his truth that will help. 

Let’s live consistently aware that we have a high calling. We are to be enslaved to God for his good purpose. 

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” 

Let’s be servants who listen.

God’s Grading System

I just finished a great book by Larry Osborne titled Mission Creep: The Five Subtle Shifts That Sabotage Evangelism & Discipleship.

I marked that book up! It is underlined, starred, and, in several spots, I just wrote “WOW” or “Yes.” (I’m lending my copy to a friend, so I didn’t write “oops” and “uh-oh” by the truths I fall short of.)

That book said so many things I have believed, taught, written about, or debated—and often not lived up to myself. It’s good to read a book that resonates with your spirit and important to read books that insist Christians aim at the right target.

Here’s one startling truth I learned: God gives every Christian an A but wants us to work for an F.

Yes, you read that correctly.

What kind of student were you?

Did you look forward to report card day, or did you dread it?

If you’re like me, you probably did a little of both.

Grades matter, but only if they help us know how to improve. As a schoolteacher, I sometimes had to give a lower grade than I wanted to. I always worried that a child would think This is who I am instead of This is who I should work to be. Sometimes I wanted to wrap my arms around a child and tell them how much that C in math didn’t matter.

The world’s standards of success

We got used to grades early in our lives, and most of us have carried the concept of a grading system since then. Our resumes were put into stacks. The A stack received interviews. The B stack might be considered for other jobs. The C stack got a nice form letter thanking them for applying. Everyone else’s resume went into the shredder.

The football team has an A team, a B team, and a bunch of benchwarmers who get a jersey but little playing time. There are corner offices and cubicles at the office. There are preferred accounts at the bank and those that get charged a monthly fee. There are neighborhoods with bars on the windows and others with guards at the gate.

And, if we aren’t careful, Christians grade other Christians with the world’s standards of success instead of God’s.

What does God’s grading system look like?

The great joy of our faith is also the great weakness.

All of us know that we earned an A grade the minute we professed our faith. But, a lot of Christians settle for the A when they should have been trying to earn a D. We have been aiming for the wrong grade. As a result, the numbers and commitment levels in our churches are declining.

  • A = acceptance. The minute you became a Christian, God gave you that A. Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). But God has a different grading system than the world does. The next step is to earn the B.
  • B = biblical. Jesus said to obey “everything that I have commanded” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus used the word everything for a reason. Unless you believe every command of Scripture, you can’t earn the higher grade. All of us should want to get that C.
  • C = cooperative. God gave us his Holy Spirit so we could communicate, commiserate, and cooperate with God’s holy presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit will never contradict God’s biblical teaching. Jesus said we are baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The Christian who earns a C is the Christian who walks with the power of God’s word, guided by his Spirit. That kind of spiritual journey earns us the next grade.
  • D = disciple. Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). It isn’t difficult to know if you are earning that coveted D from God. Disciples make disciples. Who is going to heaven, closer to God, stronger in the Lord, or more committed to their calling because you are a disciple of Christ who makes disciples of others?
  • F = Finished. Of course, the highest grade any of us will ever earn is that F. All of us should wish for the moment we are able to bow our heads and echo Jesus saying, “It is finished,” meaning, “God, I did what you commissioned and gifted my life to accomplish. I have been your disciple.”

The problem with Christianity in America is that most people just want the A.

As a result, that is the grade most of us have settled for in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We interpret the Great Commission backward. We’ve become content with an A and acceptance is only the beginning.

Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).

The hope of failure

Jesus told us to work for the D because, one day, we will get handed an F. In God’s grading system, an F means we have passed with flying colors.

I wonder if that is what Jesus meant when he said, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). I think it’s what God meant when he told Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). We don’t think like God; therefore, we are content with that A.

But God is looking forward to handing us that F. Let’s make sure we have earned the D first. Make sure you are clawing your way to the bottom. That’s where you will find the other disciples at work: with Jesus.

“Well done, good and faithful servant” can be translated: “You earned the F!”