One Man Who Made a Difference
He had the impact of a king but he was never a king nor did he ever aspire to be one, yet he was buried as one.
Position is not everything – in fact, in some respects, it is very little. You can connive, scheme and plot to work your way into a position but once you’re there, then what? And what respect do you have by those who observed your manipulations and maneuvers? You may have the position but if you don’t have their respect – you have very little. It is a shallow and empty achievement.
What really counts in your life is what you ‘do’ – not what position you ‘hold’. Titles and offices may swell your head with pride and give you some attention by onlookers and even some respect. But all of that will disappear quickly and be replaced by anger and cynicism if you do not live up to the honor of the title.
Jehoiada was never a king. He never sat on a throne. He never wore a crown. He never held a golden scepter in his hand. No regal robes hung in his closet and servants didn’t polish the silver and the gold trappings on his royal chariot. He didn’t live in the palace.
But watch closely. Follow the funeral procession. See the tears as the people lined the streets of
But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died;
an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
And they buried him in the city of
because he had done good
in
(2Chronicles 24:15-16)
Just in case you missed the reason for the State funeral, the font size was enlarged and you may have noticed it was underlined as well. He received a burial fit for a king because he did good things that pleased not just people but more importantly and ranked first in the verse – he pleased God.
He didn’t need the position of king to have the impact of a king or to earn the respect due to a king. He just did as much good as he could possibly do in the sphere where God had placed him in life. He was a spiritual man and served as a priest in the Jewish system. But his influence was great because of his pattern of making right choices and doing good things. In fact, he was really the mover and the shaker for the Lord during King Joash’s reign. The King made the official decisions because he had the position but the real power for God was coming from Jehoiada.
You don’t need to be an elder in the local assembly to make a real difference for the Lord. You don’t need to be an ‘official’ shepherd to care for and tend troubled sheep in distress. You don’t need to be a preacher to share the Gospel with others. You don’t need to be a Sunday School teacher to have an impact on children. You don’t need to be a ‘teacher’ to teach.
Sadly, too many seem to be focused on obtaining positions and titles in life. Don’t go down that road. It’s shallow and can be disastrous. Positions and titles have actually ruined people with potential. Focus on being busy; doing all the good you can do wherever God has placed you at each stage in your life.
Do right things at right times in right places for right reasons. That’s what will make your life significant in time and for eternity.
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay
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