Wednesday's "What's God been teaching me?"

2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (New International Version)

²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. ²¹ In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

Hezekiah is not ussually a name that comes to mind when thinking of Bible characters. However, Hezekiah does set a fantastic example of what it means to live for the Lord. If you look at end result of Hezekiah's service to God, it says, "[a]nd so he prospered." Often times a believer might read something like this and say, "Oh, I want to prosper! I should follow his example!" A similar example would be a person who reads that the meek shall inherit the earth and alters his behaviour so that he might in fact inherit the earth.
Consider this. Did Hezekiah do what was good and right and faithful simply just to prosper? Was his only motivation in serving God to be successful in his life? It's critical that as Christian's we aren't doing things simply for our own benefit and glory. The Christian life is about giving glory and honour to God through what we do.
Hezekiah did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord because he loved God. 1 John makes it clear that those who truly love God, show their love to God through obedient living. Verse 21 says that Hezekiah obeyed the law and the commands in his service in everything he undertook. He showed his love to God through his obedience to God.
Probably the most reveleaing thing here about Hezekiah is near the end of verse 21. It says, "[Hezekiah] sought his God and worked wholeheartedly." Here we see the real character of Hezekiah. Here we have a glimpse of the heart behind the actions. Hezekiah sought God. He pursued a relationship with Him. He didn't wait for God to come closer to him, rather he drew closer to God by seeking Him. Secondly, Hezekiah sought God "wholeheartedly". Hezekiah wasn't a lazy servant. Verse 20 says that he was faithful, because he worked "wholeheartedly" (21). Hezekiah put all his willingness, all of who he was, all his mind, soul, and strength into seeking and serving the Lord. What a fantastic example of a heart for God! But, how do we as Christians measure up to this example?
Are we doing what is good and right and faithful before the Lord? Are we doing it for God's glory and not our own? Every day we need to examine our hearts. Are we seeking the Lord or are we expecting Him to make all the effort in our relationship? But, I think most importantly we need to ask ourselves, "Are we living 'wholeheartedly' for the Lord?"
I know some of us, myself included, have gotten a little bit lazy spiritually over the Christmas holidays. Some of us may have been spiritually lazy for all of last year. Now as school has started up again, let's do the work that God has set before us wholeheartedly, let's seek Him wholeheartedly each day. Let's take steps of obedience towards God...not so we can prosper...but because we love Him.