When we think of Absalom, David’s son, we often think of him as a man consumed with pride. While pride was certainly at the root of his behaviour, as it is for most of us, it would be wise to consider that Absalom might have been addicted to something else plaguing many men, women, boys, and girls in society today—attention-seeking. As is the custom of the day, a fancy title has been assigned to this behaviour by those who study mental health—Histrionic Personality Disorder.
This life offers only a window of time to work for the Lord. Youth and old age both offer their own hindrances to service. In many ways, though not entirely, youth should be spent in learning, middle age in doing, and old age in teaching. Many of the greatest servants of the Lord found in scripture began their journey in youth by learning of the Lord and His ways (1 Kings 18:12; Psalm 71:5; 2 Chronicles 34:3; Job 29:4; Ecclesiastes 12:1). As they approached the prime of life, they put their learning to use by serving the Lord (Numbers 8:24-25). As they passed their prime, they would pass their knowledge on to the next generation in hopes the work of God would go on (2 Timothy 4:1-8).
