How Can We Know?

By Traci Hubbard

I am betting that most of us know that to get a squirrel to like us, all we have to do is act like a nut. Folks, there has always been a ton of misinformation floating around. Winston Churchill was brilliant in using misinformation to guide his enemies to the wrong places. In 1 Kings 3, we see that Solomon has become the king of Isreal and it appears that YHWH has handed him a blank check by asking, “What do you want?” Notice, this is not a Genie in a bottle offering to grant three wishes. ‘What’ is a singular thing.

Most of us would have at least considered asking for something big, like winning the $80,000,000.00 Lottery. A General might ask for a stronger army. Someone might ask for a bottomless bowl of Lindt Truffles in my office. If that is what you asked for, you blew your chance because there are now 250 truffles in my office.

We need to look around us, inside us and listen before we make our requests, and I believe Solomon did just that because he understood the essence of his purpose was to be a servant leader. Knowing this, he asked YHWH to give him a listening heart. He doesn’t ask for facts or cliff notes. He does not request to become the most intelligent person in the world. He asks for the ability to see what Holy Mystery sees, in other words, the truth beneath the surface.

And almost immediately, the toughest case imaginable is thrown before his throne. Two mothers. One baby. No witnesses. No security footage. No DNA testing available. One mother had rolled on top of her baby while sleeping and smothered him. She tells the King that another woman has stolen her baby and given her a dead one, demanding the woman hand over the child to her. Solomon doesn’t try to be clever…he observes, he listens, and then he simply reveals the love in the true mother’s heart by saying, “Cut the child in half and give one half to each woman.” We know what happened. The real mother would do anything to protect the life of her child and she screams, “NO!” Let her have the child.” Loving wisdom uncovers the truth by touching our hearts.

Life giving wisdom isn’t about knowing everything. Life giving wisdom is about listening deeply to the Spirit, to people, and to the quiet truth underneath the noise.

Let’s leap a thousand years into the future where Paul is encouraging Timothy, a new young pastor who was doubting his abilities.

“Why did God pick me? I still feel like I should be asking permission to speak!” I get Timothy…this room is full of incredible wisdom, so much so, it took a few months for my knees to stop shaking in the pulpit.

Paul tells Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Be yourself and lead from how you listen and talk. Lead from the way you approach praise and conflict. Lead from the way you love, from the faith you live in and from the deepest intentions of your heart.”

Paul is basically saying, “You don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room. Just be the one whose life looks like Jesus.” And then Paul adds that everything the Holy has created is good and the “IF” word we read in this text really translates “Since” … since all that Love has created is good, receive everything with gratitude.

Folks, the wise person doesn’t run away from the world. The wise person knows how to move in it, and how to be love in all circumstances trusting that the Divine is with them.

A friend of mine once lead the Time for All Ages in the church service. She asked, “What do you think God wants most from us?” A little boy shot his hand straight up. “He wants us to be quiet in church.”

Almost every person in the room looked as if they had just heard the gospel like, “Yes! Set us free from chattering children, especially that little boy who stood on his head during the Christmas Eve Service. I know that family is young and were visiting, but being upside down in church is not the way to be in community.” Mmmmmm…that actually happened this Christmas Eve and the parents were teary eyed with gratitude for the way words were spoken from the pulpit and for the way they felt welcomed. The children of this family call me, “The Chocolate Lady.”

After the little boy shared what he believed God wanted, a tiny little girl whose shoes were untied, and had hair with a mind of its own said, “I think God mostly wants us to listen. Because if we listen, we’ll know what to do.” That little Pippi Longstocking basically summarized 1 Kings and 1 Timothy, and most of the sermon in one sentence. Meanwhile, many of us have been following Jesus for decades and are still spiritually tripping over our shoelaces.

Solomon’s wisdom wasn’t about clever speeches. Timothy’s leadership wasn’t about being impressive.

Both were learning the same lesson, “Allow Holy LOVE to shape the inside, and the outside will follow.”

Wisdom grows when we slow down enough to ask, “What’s really happening here? Where is love in this situation? What might the Spirit be transforming in me right now? And like Timothy, wisdom shows up in ordinary things like how we talk when nobody’s watching, and how we treat difficult people, and how we handle moments when we don’t feel ready, qualified, or “holy enough.” Let’s not miss the meaning in both stories: The Spirit of Love entrusts ordinary people with sacred responsibility and then guides them with strength and joy through the journey.

As we begin 2026, may we as individuals and as a community of faith pray Solomon’s prayer, “Lord, give me, give us, a listening heart.” And may we live out Paul’s challenge to Timothy, “Let my life, let this community, be a mirror of the ways of Jesus who lived a surrendered right side up heart that continues to turn the world upside down. May we dare to be part of holy stranger things. How can we know how much money will we have if we combine touch, vision, hearing, smell and taste? Five sense. How much will we have if we view all things through love? Always what we need which is always enough. Because when the Spirit shapes our hearts, our hearts shape our choices and reshapes our world. May we be faithful nuts for the highest good of all. May it be so, amen.