Good Riddance

His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. 2 Chronicles 21:19-20

Years ago, I received an invitation to a retirement party for an individual who had caused me nothing but grief during the few years in which we’d worked together. The only reason I’d have gone to the event would have been to celebrate that he was leaving. I don’t think that’s what they were looking for though, so I didn’t go. I had a terrible attitude about this person, which made me feel a little guilty, but I knew him only as someone who made my life miserable every time we interacted. I was honestly happy he was going to be gone. I wasn’t going to miss him, and I certainly wasn’t going to celebrate his career.

That sounds harsh, but it’s similar to the attitude that the people of Judah held towards King Jehoram in today’s passage. Jehoram reigned over Judah for eight years, during which time, he’d caused his people nothing but misery and chaos. When he assumed power, he murdered all his brothers, whom the people loved more than they loved him. Because of his poor leadership, a couple of Judah’s provinces revolted and seceded. For Jehoram’s faithlessness and idol worship, God allowed Judah’s enemies to invade and defeat them. It was clear, at the time of his death, that Jehoram had caused his people nothing but misery. And so, when he died, they didn’t celebrate his reign, but rather, they celebrated the fact that he was finally gone.

What will my legacy be? Others remember us for how our lives affected theirs. So, it’s possible that I’ll be remembered by some only for my worst failures. I’d like to think though, that if I repent and turn my life around, that I can be known not only for my failures, but also for my recovery from those failures. That’s largely up to me though. If I moved, retired, or died right now, how would those at my work, my church, my gym, or even in my own home remember me? If I’m not happy with the answer, then today, I may need to do something radical to change how I impact the lives of those around me.