2nd Chronicles chapter 21. Selfish or unselfish?
Looking forward to a Beautiful Day with Jesus!!!
After King Jehoshaphat's death, his son Jehoram took over as king. He was very selfish and very power-hungry. Because he was King, he felt he could do anything he wanted without any fear of any consequences. He murdered his brothers and rejected God. One can only do that for so long until there ARE consequences. And when God took his life no one cared! Wow, what a legacy!
People know if we are selfish and power-hungry or not. Don't get me wrong, we all act selfish in some manner on any given day. But there are some who basically make it a habit because they can't get their eyes off from themselves and onto others.
On days when I have acted selfishly I have hurt my wife, my parents or my employees. Now think how many people one would offend and hurt if that was their general practice. King Jehoram did just that.
People are drawn To love and humility. People will love and respect you if they feel you generally care about them and are willing to make sacrifices for them or make them feel valuable and important. I've seen it over and over and over again.
I used to go to the Corry school everyday for prayer in the morning. I walked down the hall and almost everyday I'd see this one boy and one girl who were always alone. They looked down when they walked. I begin saying hello to them every morning. At first, they would not respond nor make any eye contact. They would not acknowledge me, my hello or my smile.
Gradually, over time, they begin to say hi back, then begin making eye contact and would even smile. I wonder if they looked forward in the morning to see me and hear me say hello. Eventually, I even got a chance to carry on a conversation with the boy.
People want to be loved and respected and are drawn to those who are willing to do so. But it's hard to do if we are selfish people or power-hungry.
When King Jehoram died no one cared. If I were to die tomorrow, what would be my legacy? Would people care or not?
Just letting you know that I would care. Prayers for you and your ministry. Have a great day!
Thank you Janet! It’s appreciated! Prayers go out for you as well!
Many blessings to you!
Jehoram was a horrible king. What an awful example he was in so many ways! He certainly wasn’t a nice brother and he didn’t lead well as a king. I’m not aware of him actually having any positive leadership qualities. It seems to me that he was a man without love and he only cared about himself. I get the idea that people didn’t care about him either from reading in verse 20 that he departed with no one’s regret. He wasn’t honored the way that other kings were when they died. What did he gain from his selfishness? We read that he died in great agony as his bowels came out from his incurable disease that God struck him with.
Living for the Lord reaps such a different outcome than living for self. Whatever each of our legacies are, may they include love. May God’s love be seen in us as we share His love with others.
Here are a couple of passages that I would like to share today.
Proverbs 13:20-22
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Mark 8:34-36
And calling the crowd to Him (Jesus) with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”