‘He died because of the sin he committed by doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and by walking in the ways of Jeroboam and the sin he caused Israel to commit.’
(1 Kings 16:18-19, CSB)
We all follow someone, don’t we?
Whether it’s our favourite band, travelling across the country to catch their gigs, or perhaps it’s simply following your friends and family on social media, making sure that you’re up to date with their antics.
Perhaps – a little more seriously – you have an influence in your life who you follow – a spiritual leader or pastor. They steer you in the right direction for your life and keep your heart on track with your faith.
We all have influencers in our lives. People who inspire, encourage and instruct.
When reading the account of King Zimri in 1 Kings 16, I was struck by the above verse specifically. King Zimri had succeeded King Elah as leader over the people of Israel, and, according to scripture, he had continued in the evil ways of the house of Jeroboam.
I won’t go into the full history of the Kings of Israel and Judah, for more information and understanding, please read the book of 1 Kings and 2 Kings – it’s a fascinating read!
But, what I pulled out of the chapter was this: King Zimri had not only done what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but he had also led the people of Israel to commit sin against the Lord as well.
This spiralled into a train of thought for me that led to this conclusion: Be very, very careful who you choose to follow. King Zimri not only failed to honour God and do what was right in the Lord’s sight by following His ways and worshipping Him, he caused the nation he led to fall into sin as well.
Now, in our current culture, the King or Queen has less influence than in the days of Zimri. We don’t necessarily look to them in the same way that the people of 1 and 2 Kings did. But there are people we look to to inform or guide our lives.
Particularly if you are a follower of Jesus.
My point and my encouragement to you all today is very simple – keep a sober and measured review of the people you follow or have access to you and your life – even in the smallest way – and decide whether what they encourage you to do or how they encourage you to live, lines up with the word of God and His ways.
For me, I have had to un-follow some people on my social media accounts, end some friendships and distance myself from other influences in my life purely because they draw me away from God and His perfect ways. This may hurt or offend some people but, ultimately, I am not accountable to them. I am accountable to the Lord.
These influences may only lead us astray in a small way but, as we know, even the smallest diversion – over time – can lead to a large discrepancy in the path we are called to walk.
Weigh the people who have influence in your life, friends. Then one day you can look in the face of your Saviour and know that you did all you could to walk in His ways and do what was good and right and pure in His sight.
Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash
Living The Jesus Life 