2 Kings 12:2
And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
Jehoash was a good king as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. If you were to look at Jehoash’s life, you would say that he was a good man most of his life. However, there is one glaring thing missing in his life, and that is he became a completely different man after the spiritual influence of his life went to Heaven. The verse above said that he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Jehoash never made right his, but he lived off Jehoiada's spirituality, and when Jehoiada died, his true heart came out.
I think of a man who was a great preacher when I was a boy. My father and I watched him preach every Sunday on television and were encouraged by his church services. This preacher was a great influence on many. Sadly, he eventually compromised. No, he was not a bad person, but he compromised what he once believed for the sake of a crowd. What was the difference in this man? The difference was that he had a spiritual influence that kept him straight, but this preacher changed when that spiritual influence died. Had this preacher made the spiritual influence’s spirituality his, he would have never compromised when the spiritual influence died.
You can only live off the spirituality of your spiritual influence for so long until eventually you need to make their spirituality yours. Many children changed when they walked out of their parent’s house because they only did right because their parents did right. Many churches have changed after a pastor went to Heaven because that church lived off the spirituality of that pastor instead of making what he believed theirs. There are several keys to making another's spirituality yours so that you don't change when your spiritual influence is gone.
First, you must realize your spiritual influence will not live forever. It is okay to follow your spiritual influence for a short time, but they will not be there forever, and you had better figure out from God's Word what you believe while they are alive. If you are living off the spirituality of your spiritual influence, you will not be a spiritual person for long. Your spiritual influence may be able to keep you straight while they are alive, but they will not be able to keep you straight when they go to Heaven.
Second, you must develop a daily walk with God if you are going to stay spiritual. Nobody has made the spirituality of another theirs who did not walk with God themselves. The reason your spiritual influence is or was spiritual is because they walked with God. If you are going to make right yours, you must walk with God in the Scriptures so that you know what you believe.
Third, you must never let the desire to be accepted influence what you believe. One big reason people change what they believe is because of peer pressure. Right is right even if your world does wrong. Nobody has done right who is always concerned with what others think of them. You must develop a thick skin and stand on what you believe despite what the crowd around you does. Making right yours and continuing to do right after your spiritual influence is gone will only be accomplished if you determine to do right despite your closest friends changing.
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