Reflections on Josiah's Life and Legacy

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

Josiah is one of my favorite kings mentioned in the Bible (2 Kngs 22-23).  Josiah began to rule at the age of 8 and eventually went on to initiate one of the greatest reform movements in Israel’s history.  The catalyst for this reform was none other than the power of the Word of God.  The kings and the nation had strayed from God’s plan and lived in violation of his covenant faithfulness.  They had abandoned God. 

Yet, even in the midst of this dark time, God’s Word was there, and when Hilkiah, the High Priest, brought the lost Law of God to Josiah, his response was remarkable.  He was broken and cried out in repentance (2 Kngs 22:11)!  He then called the nation to repent and return to the Lord.

While this story is so powerful, it also has a sad ending.  Josiah dies in battle and leaves the throne to godless sons (Jer 22:11, 18).  One son is foolish and self-absorbed and ends up imprisoned in Egypt (2 Kngs 22:31-33; Jer 22:11-17).  Another son is nothing more than an evil puppet for Pharaoh (2 Kngs 23:36-24:6).  On top of all of this, the spiritual leaders left in the wake of Josiah’s death were self-serving and evil (Jer 23:1-2).

As I think about the faithfulness of Josiah and the faithlessness of those who followed after him, I am confronted with these thoughts.

* Do I examine my life in light of the truth of God’s Word or by cultural standards?

* Is my heart still sensitive to the Word of God like Josiah’s?  Does my sin, no matter how small I may think it is, still disgust and break me and bring me to repentance?

* How am I helping raise up faithful leaders who will serve as soldiers for the glory of Christ alongside of me and, prayerfully, even one day replace me (2 Tim 2:1-3)?

* Do I acknowledge the shepherding work of God and see it as my privilege to serve as an undershepherd, under his authority, building his people?

* Am I pouring Christ into those over whom God has given me the privilege of serving? 

* Do I use my position for personal gain (even if only to boost my ego), or am I dying to self so that Christ may live through me to build his church?  Do I understand that my life exists solely to be used as a stepping stone for other people to draw closer to Christ?

As I think of Josiah, I am challenged by his humility and sensitivity to God’s Word.  I’m also saddened by the lack of spiritual legacy left behind.

May God bless our efforts to continue to serve as conduits through whom he can work, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ might be proclaimed to all.

2 Corinthians 4:4-6: “4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Once Upon a Time

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

The other day, I came home.  My son, who just started second grade, was out back playing and my wife asked me to read a story he had written for school.  Second grade stories are incredible, so I was thrilled until I began reading.  His story was about our moving to another state two months earlier.  Here is his story:

 

Once upon a time, when I got home from school, my dad called me over and my sisters.  I thought to myself, “I bet my sisters did something.”  When we sat down, my dad said, “We are moving.”  I got so mad, but when I came down, I wondered, “Why do we have to move?”  I asked my dad, “Why do we got to move?”  He said, “Because I feel like that’s where Jesus wants us to go.”  Then he said, “You got to go.”  So, when we moved and we went into that house and looked around, it was time to go to bed.  I thought, “This house is a good house for me and my sisters and parents.”

Aspects of this story make me proud and others make me sad.  Here’s why:

1. He assumed his sisters did something wrong, and not him.  Now, that’s funny.

2. My 7-year-old understood that the call to follow Jesus was more important than comfort.

3. He didn’t give in to his feelings but processed.

4. I didn’t realize that he was still processing.  I shouldn’t assume so much.

5. What brought him a degree of peace after moving was knowing that his family was secure in a good environment.

Watching your family sacrifice for decisions you as a parent make is incredibly difficult.  I’m thankful, in this circumstance, my child realized the decision was made out of a desire to follow Christ.  He’s struggling with the consequences of my “good” decisions and not my sinful ones.  Nevertheless, it is still a process for him.  My son is still working through the pain of his move, and, as his father, I pray that God gives me wisdom in leading him to see Christ in this midst of it all.

At the same time, I watch my son in the midst of his struggle and realize that I can learn from him.  Just as I have placed my son in a position he doesn’t understand and have asked him to trust me, God as my Heavenly Father occasionally puts me in similar situations.  These situations are often painful from my limited perspective and bring me to question, “Why?”  As my Father takes me down life’s uncertain roads, I pray that God will help me to respond by trusting him even when it doesn’t make sense to me, believing that the home at the end of the line is worth the journey. 

Letter to My Children

By: Adam McClendon
www.newlineministries.com

Three years ago as my three daughters were preparing for kindergarten, 1st grade, and 4th grade, I wrote them this letter because I wanted to engage my children, even at this young age, with some key character principles that will help them eventually be the people God wants them to be.  Prayerful, it will be helpful to you as you seek to strategically invest in this next generation.

 

August 12, 2010:

Well, girls, it’s time to start school.  Wow, you are growing up fast.

As you start school, I want to provide you with some rules that I pray you will follow.

1.    Be kind to everyone and treat them with respect

In school, you will be tempted to be mean to people.  There will be times when people will have toys that you want, or they will get more attention from the teacher, or they will do something better than you, or you just simple won’t like them.  You will be tempted to be mean to them.  Don’t!  Remember how kind and patient God has been to us and be kind to them.

2.    Do your best at everything you do.

In school, sometimes we have to do things that we don’t like.  We have to study and read.  We have to think.  But remember that your teacher is having you do these things for a reason and with everything that we do, we are to do it for the Lord.  Colossians 3:17 says that we should do everything to honor Jesus as if we were doing it for him.

3.    Don’t worry about fairness

In school as in life, things are not always fair.  There will be times when someone cuts in front of you, or takes your spot, or get credit for something you did.  That will happen.  Don’t let it bother you and don’t worry about fairness.  You just do your best and let God take care of the rest.  You are a beautiful, smart girl with a great smile and personality.  Don’t let your circumstances frustrate you.

4.    Be yourself

Remember that you are an incredible kid.  God has blessed you with wonderful looks, a wonderful mind, wonderful talents, and a wonderful family.  Some of the kids that you will hang out with will be jealous of you.  Some will want to be like you and look up to you.  However, you will not know that and you will be tempted to look at the people you think are special and want to be like them.  Don’t try to be like them.  Be yourself.  Be the person God made you to be.  I promise, in the end, you will have more true friends than you can imagine, and people will want to follow you.

5.    Choose your close friends carefully

Yes, I want you to be friendly to everyone, but choose your close friends carefully.  Friends will have a great influence in your life.  They will tend to become more like you and you will tend to become more like them.  You don’t want a friend that will tempt you to do the things that you know are wrong.  You don’t want a friend that will threaten to quit being your friend if you don’t do what they want you to do.  You want a friend that will accept you for who you are.

6.    Live for Jesus

I pray that you will be a light for Jesus, that you will live for him, and tell others about him.  Hope is only found in Jesus.  Remember that.  Also, remember that we have an enemy in Satan and he wants to destroy you.  He will use your friends to tempt you to do wrong.  People will make fun of you and try to pressure you into doing wrong.  Don’t let them.  Stand your ground.  I promise in the long run, they will respect you and want to be like you. 

I love you girls.  Thanks for being my daughters.  It is a privilege to be your dad.

Dad

 

www.newlineministries.com