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| Photo by Ceoln |
When Hezekiah became king of Judah, he was on a mission for God from day one of his reign. This in itself is amazing since his dad, King Ahaz, was a horrible role model. He was about as ungodly as you can get! But, in spite of his wicked father, God's Word states that Hezekiah "did what was right in the Lord's sight just as his ancestor David had done" (2 Chronicles 29:2, HCSB).
On King Hezekiah's mission to reform Judah back into a godly nation, he reopened Solomon's Temple and had the priests and Levites consecrate themselves for regular worship duties. He told the Levites "It is in my heart now to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel so that His burning anger may turn away from us" (2 Chronicles 29:10, HCSB). Hezekiah had purposed in his heart that he was going to pursue God's will for his life as well as for the nation he had been entrusted to lead.
Also, as part of Hezekiah's plan for spiritual renewal for his nation, he re-instituted the celebration of the Passover festival. This was one of the national holidays God had commanded through the Law that His people celebrate each and every year. Unfortunately though, as a result of previous ungodly kings, this special national holiday had been neglected. As Hezekiah prepared his nation to celebrate this first Passover in quite some time, the Bible states that he sent the word out to not only Judah but also to the other ten tribes in their sister nation of Israel to the north. The response from the other ten tribes was mixed. "…the inhabitants laughed at them and mocked them. But some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 30:10-11, HCSB).
When You're A Leader, You Take The Arrows
The unfortunate part of being a leader is the distinct possibility of being mocked and laughed at. Not everyone you lead within your sphere of influence will always be your biggest fans. Just like Hezekiah, you run the risk of being laughed at and ridiculed.
A big part of leadership is making decisions that won't be popular with everyone. I'm not saying that you should go out and make unpopular decisions on purpose. As a leader, though, you will need to make some tough, necessary decisions for the sake of your family, church, business, or workplace.
To you, a certain leadership decision may seem completely logical, rational, and clearly within the will of God, but not everyone is going to see it that way. In Hezekiah's situation, we clearly see a difference between the spiritual maturity of the king and specific tribes in Israel. Hezekiah had a vision of restoring the spiritual life of the nation of Judah, and he invited others to join in with him and the rest of his nation. When some ridiculed him, he let it roll of him and kept on going. He accomplished his God-given mission.
How About You?
Are you a leader? Perhaps you're on your own unique mission from God right now. Maybe you have gone through a re-dedication period in your life where you're attempting to live your life in line with God's Word. You are obeying God's will and direction for your life.
If it hasn't happened, yet, get ready, because you're probably going to be laughed at, mocked, and ridiculed. Sadly, it may even come from family members or those who are closest to you. When this happens, though, just remember you're in excellent company. It happened to King Hezekiah, too.
Also, check out these related posts:
- 3 Characteristics of Great Leadership
- Finish Your Race Well
- Lead From the Front
- Optimistic Determination | Jackson and Crocker's automobile journey across America
- Our Character Is Shaped By The Inconvenient
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