Our faith must affect all aspects of our life

The Bible tells us that one of the first measures that King Jehoshaphat took when he assumed the reign was to remove the altars and high places dedicated to the goddess Asherah. Verse 6 tells us that "his heart was encouraged in the ways of Jehovah, and he removed the high places and the images of Asherah from the midst of Judah." In this way, he neutralized the spiritual curse that weighed on his nation as a result of idolatry.

That "his heart was enlivened in the ways of Jehovah" suggests a period of revival in the life of the king of Judah, before beginning that spiritual reformation in his nation. It is possible that at some point Jehoshaphat experienced an awakening in his spiritual life. Perhaps he went from being a mere cultural believer to manifesting a genuine commitment to God. Possibly he began to become familiar with and meditate on Jehovah's Law. He asked God for direction to wisely rule his nation. His faith was affirmed. He experienced a new sensitivity to the sin of his people. A new sense of urgency was born in him in the face of the growing spiritual apostasy of his nation. Jehoshaphat grew strong in the Lord, and received the courage to confront the worship of false gods.

Perhaps that decision caused controversy and even outrage in a significant segment of the population. But for Jehoshaphat the desire to obey and please God was more powerful than the fear of falling in the national popularity polls. The young king perked up in spirit and gave the order to bring down all the statues to the false gods. In the committed heart of the king of Judah there was no room for a "pluralistic" or falsely tolerant position. He clearly understood that Baal worship was not a mere cultural option, devoid of major consequences. This idolatry towards false gods spiritually contaminated his people and opened them to demonic oppression.

Consistency in Belief

Here we have a great spiritual lesson: Jehoshaphat could not separate his spiritual convictions from his public or political role. When a leader is possessed by a powerful spiritual conviction, he cannot afford to compartmentalize his life. He is not capable of artificially separating the different aspects of his being. He is forced to establish harmony and coherence between the different parts that make up his personality.

On occasion I have come across Christians who hold public or elective office, for example, and yet endorse laws that are contrary to scriptural principles. These people frequently argue that because they hold public office, they must maintain a wall of separation between their faith and their profession, in order to be fair to those citizens who hold different beliefs. In honor of supposed pluralist principles, they endorse abhorrent practices such as abortion, gay marriage, legalized gambling, and free access to pornography. The truth is, that is a misleading distinction. Our Christian beliefs must take precedence over all other loyalty or commitment.

If a Christian occupies a political office, he will be obliged to extend his moral and spiritual convictions to every decision he makes or every judicial action that he supports or rejects. As in the case of Daniel, who refused to bow down to the king's statue despite holding an important political office in Babylon, the servant of God will have to be consistent with his spiritual beliefs, no matter how great the price is. to pay on a personal or professional level.

A Christian who has embraced the word of God as his governing principle will need to ensure that all aspects of his life — behavior, relationships, work, entertainment, dress code — are consistent with that spiritual foundation. If a political or professional position prevents us from carrying out our responsibilities consistent with our moral or spiritual identity, the only full option will be to resign from that position. No matter where we are, our primary commitment will always have to be to obey God rather than men.

By taking that decisive step of tearing down the Asherah statues in the national territory, Jehoshaphat took away from Satan any legal claim he might have to chain his nation and keep it spiritually and materially oppressed. That powerful act cleared the air so that God's blessing could flow unhindered from on high into Judah. Thus we, when we renounce sinful behavior and adopt a lifestyle that is in line with the spiritual principles that we confess, we open the doors so that God's blessing can flow into our lives, and his wonderful promises begin to manifest in our lives. favor.