Sum It All Up
The world is better from having had her in it
Reference: The son of Karmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. (1 Chronicles 2:7 NIV)
Explore: When a friend of mine lost her mum, I sat down to write her a sympathy card. I sat there for ages, not knowing what to write.
How do you console someone who is experiencing such incredible grief? How do you sum up a life that has meant so much to another?
Sure, her mum was not perfect, but her faults were no more obvious than the next person. In fact, the more I thought about her the more I realized her genuine nature. Whilst she didn’t always do or say the best things, she always acted and spoke with kindness and the best of intentions. It was like she had no malicious bones in her body.
In the end, the message was easy: “Your mum always cared about others. She was one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met and the world is better from having had her in it.”
While this card would not have filled the hole in my friend’s heart from the loss of her mother, she appreciated that others had seen the best in her mother too.
Application: It’s always interesting reading through the genealogies listed in the Bible. Most of the time the names are foreign to me, but occasionally there are descriptions attached to someone of significance.
The descriptions may mention who else was in their family or a great accomplishment they achieved. As I was reading through 1 Chronicles 2, I noticed Achar’s description. Listed above, it’s not the best description you would want behind your name. He ‘brought trouble’.
The print is harsh and, seeing as though it was written a few thousand years ago, there is no room for Achar to defend himself! It made me think, what sentence would someone attach to my life? Hopefully it’s not that I ‘brought trouble,’ but that I’m working at being like my friend’s mother who made the world a better place. It’s a great challenge for us all to reflect on.
Prayer: Lord, You have given each of us the same amount of time today – 24 hours. May we use each one to bring You glory rather than bring trouble on others. Amen.
What description would people attach to your life?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.