II Chronicles 21:20 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired.
Control or Controlled?
Have you ever known someone that just brightened up the room when they left it? All of us know people who bring everybody down. The Bible says of King Jehoram, “Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired.” Nobody missed him when he was gone because he wasn’t a help when he was around. Our human nature is to help self, to make self the most prominent one in any given situation. This is an oft repeated story of so many kings and queens who came and went in the chronicles of God.
In II Chronicles 21:4 the Bible tells us why Jehoram departed without being desired. The Bible says, “Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren…” All those who might have had reason to love him were dead because he killed them. People obsessed with having control live in fear of their own weakness and as slaves to their own passions. Later on when his widow, Athaliah, was a grandmother, she killed all her own grandchildren just to keep the power of the kingdom for herself.
What both these people have in common was their absolute determination to stiff arm their way through life, to be the greatest, to be in charge, to control everything. Those who must control everything are controlled by everything. Have you ever known anyone who must make all the decisions and basically micromanage their life and the lives of everyone around them? That is an indication of a great fear of one’s own weakness and of being a slave to one’s own passions. I don’t have to be the greatest or best. Now I should do my best, but if doing my best is simply about me, then I’m going to be the kind of person who will depart without being desired. I want my life to count, not just for making me happy, but for honoring God by being a help to other people.
In II Chronicles 24:27 there is a brief statement that is repeated throughout Chronicles. The Bible says very simply, “And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.” I don’t care how rich, smart, gifted, or powerful you are. There will come a day when someone will reign in your stead. No matter how much you accomplish, one day you will die. It is important that people miss us when we’re gone, but it is even more important that God is pleased with us while we live. That happens by not living for self, but by honoring God by helping others.