The Divine Epitaph of a Leader

Scripture: Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 36:5

Observation: Often repeated in scripture is this sentence summarizing the reign of a king of Israel or Judah. The sentence follows this same formula, only the names and dates are changed. ____________ was ____________ years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ____________ years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. An entire king’s reign is held up to one standard. Structures could have been erected, treaties signed, wars fought and won…all of these achievements are not important enough to make it into their divine epitaph. All of the things that would have been great or small in the eyes of men are immaterial. Only one criteria exists: Did they do right or evil in the sight of God?

Application: If this is the evaluation standard of my leadership, then I must be about doing what is right in the sight of the LORD my God. This means making the tough decisions, holding fast to the course. It means being willing to endure criticism from others, willing to act with integrity, expecting to be believed, and when I am not, trusting that the divine epithet to set things right. It means seeing my leadership as a temporary trust, one that I will one day hand off to another. What will my divine epitaph read?

Prayer: God, I pray for the eternal perspective of history and your final commendation. It is not history, but You that will determine my actions and decisions. May I be counted as one who kept the commandments of God and held to the testimony of Jesus.