READ: 2 Chronicles 19-20
Verses
chosen for meditation: 2 Chronicles 19:2-3, 5-7, 11
2 But Jehu the son of
Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you
help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has
gone out against you from the Lord. 3 Nevertheless, some good
is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set
your heart to seek God.”
5 He appointed judges in
the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6
and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but
for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now then,
let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no
injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
11 And behold, Amariah
the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son
of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and
the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be
with the upright!
REFLECT
Following
his brush with death, only surviving due to God’s protection, King Jehoshaphat
was rebuked for his wrongful alliances which endangered himself and the
kingdom. It’s curious that Jehoshaphat, being a good king, would agree to these
alliances. However, even in his ungodly alliance with the evil king Ahab, he retained
the wisdom to discern true prophecy and the heart to seek the Lord in decision-making
(2 Chronicles 18:4-6).
We
see then that it was unlikely that Jehoshaphat joined Ahab for evil and selfish
reasons. In v2, Jehu pointed out Jehoshaphat’s love for those who hate the Lord
and helping the wicked’s cause. Jehu is not saying he should only love the
righteous, and not contradicting the instruction to love our enemies. But there
are healthier ways of loving people. Unchecked pastoral care could lead to
disaster, especially if not done in accordance with God’s word. Jehoshaphat likely
valued the unity of both nations (more than objective truth in this case), hence
the alliances, though God did not agree to it.
What
made Jehoshaphat such a good shepherd to his people (kind, magnanimous, concern
for everyone) became a fatal peril here. Unfortunately, after this rebuke, Jehoshaphat
did not learn his lesson and made another ungodly alliance for commercial purposes
(2 Chronicles 20:35-37). First a marriage alliance, then a military alliance,
then a commercial alliance. All led to disastrous outcomes. Still, Jehoshaphat
had goodness in him, which God acknowledged in v3.
Jehoshaphat
then set out on his reforms. He appointed and charged his leaders to deal with
matters with God’s justice. No judging is to be done for man, but for the Lord.
He urged moral courage to do what’s good, and trust that God will stand with
the good.
RELATE
Two years into my teaching job, as part of management
responsibilities, I was charged with my first case of deciding the career of another
teacher. Being his direct supervisor, I had to determine his performance grade.
That was my first year as his supervisor, and in his previous two performance reviews, he didn’t do well. If he got the same grade for the 3rd
year straight, he could not stay as a teacher. This crucial 3rd year
decision was left to a young and relatively inexperienced me, who just a year
prior, was learning some of the ropes from this very teacher I had to judge.
Unfortunately, he could not meet the standards
required, and if I were to be completely objective, he had to go. It was not
that he was a bad person or is incapable. It was just that teaching may not be
his cup of tea. I could envision him getting success elsewhere. It did not help
that he was the sole breadwinner for his family. His young daughters were
entering new seasons. Cost of living was only going to increase. More than
being his reporting officer, I was also his colleague and friend, finding
myself emotionally invested in some of his personal challenges, including
family.
The burden of leadership then was huge, more than
what I would like to bear. What would God have me do? The verses of today’s
devotion would have helped immensely. Still, without the clarity these verses would
have given me, I believe God guided my decision, imbuing me with the moral
courage to do what’s right, which was to give the grade that would end his career.
However, it was not a popular decision, evident in the assessment history of my
colleague. He was teaching in the school for a long time, most years receiving
a dangerous grade. However, during each decisive 3rd year of assessment,
his grade would be one better, preventing him from being off-loaded. You can
call it grace and compassion, or lack of moral courage, but previous
supervisors did not take the step to offload him. I don’t know the full
circumstances so it’s unfair to say those were wrong decisions, but the track
record at least shows that sufficient chances were given.
If my colleague remained, the students, who should
be at the centre of our decisions, will not thrive as they should. It was
harmful for my colleague as well, being in a job where he was struggling with
continued fruitlessness. Looking back, God taught me that showing pastoral care by keeping him in the job was not good for
all parties involved. Like Jehoshaphat, a wrong way of showing care could endanger
many parties. I prayed much for direction then, and God showed that care could
be given in healthier forms. First, an honest talk was a form of pastoral care.
My colleague had to realise that teaching was not for him, but he cannot leave
thinking he was an incapable person. Hence, it was convincing him of his
usefulness in other areas, and to research with him what jobs he could do well
in and support him in transition. In God’s justice, there’s still room for
grace.
I could have easily made the other choice, as other
factors played on my mind, like how other colleagues may perceive lack of
compassion in me, or whether my colleague’s family would hate me. But if
decisions were made based on that, that would be judging for man (v6), not for
God. In this moral dilemma, I remembered not wanting to live with the guilt of such
a decision, but I felt what I could only deem as the Spirit’s prompting to deal
courageously (v11). For a while, some of my colleagues became wary of me, and I
2nd guessed my choice, not sure if God was with me. But time has
shown God was indeed with me. Colleagues were reminded of consequences and the
value of excellence, saw the goodness in it and eventually trusted how I make
decisions. If I wondered whether I destroyed a family’s future, God gave me
peace when I bumped into my ex-colleague just months ago, and he was telling me
how he was doing well in this other job and that his family is well. That “coincidental”
meeting confirmed that he had no grievances with me and that his family’s financial
security was taken care of by God. It was never my burden to bear. I just
needed to deal courageously with the right heart, and leave the rest
to God.
That was a defining moment in my career. It steeled
my resolve and taught me to be sufficiently hard-headed, with the Lord’s own “toughness”,
yet not losing the pastoral care He calls us to have. ALL of us are called to
minister in some way pastorally to others. We must reflect more deeply what the
best form of pastoral care is, and how care shown in certain ways may not be
healthy. Small group leaders grapple with this all the time. Some shared the
tension between wanting to be tougher for the sake of members’ spiritual growth,
and the fear of losing them or creating disunity if they took a harder stance. May
leaders deal courageously. May those being led see certain “toughness” as love
and pastoral care too, and even help their leaders in the cause. It really is
easier for leaders not to address the white elephants in the room, in order to
maintain unity. However, that form of care can be perilous, eternally speaking.
REST
Thank you, Lord, for not only caring for us by
providing all that we need materially, but also disciplining us with love, steeling
and building us through the lessons our lives. Some are painful, but necessary.
May we follow the same vein, and exercise pastoral care the way you do. Amen.
Chris Chong
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