“In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings” (2 Chronicles 21:19-20).
A king dies. But no funeral fire was made in his honor as had been done for all his predecessors.
A king dies. But was not buried in the tombs of the kings.
A king dies. But to no one’s regret.
Gee.
What the heck kind of life do you have to live where no one cares that you died?
What the heck kind of life does a king have to live where no one will honor the death of a king?
What the heck kind of a man do you have to be that when you die, you die to no one’s regret?
Yet, I’ve known such lives. They certainly were not kings. But they die and no one regrets that they are gone.
No one wants to remember them. No one wants to celebrate them. They’re just glad that they are gone.
Thank God most are not like that. The only thing that matters here on this side of eternity is the quality of relationships you have. That’s it. You are here so that God can use you to make life better for the people around you.
So, here’s the question: Do you make the people around you better? Or do you make them bitter?
Praxis: Faith in Action 