TEARING DOWN THE ALTARS OF THE HEARTS:REFORM YOUR LIFE

A man thinking about the altars

It is another beautiful day that the Lord has made, and we will be glad and rejoice in it by sharing with each other what the Spirit wants us to hear today (Psalm 118:24). I went to church last Sunday, and in the middle of the service, I was led by the spiriri to open and read the book of Chronicles. When I opened my Bible, I was led to 2 Chronicles 34, which talks about Josiah’s Reforms, and it fascinated me.

The chapter talks about how Josiah became king at the age of 8 years old and reigned for 31 years. The Bible records that Josiah did what was pleasing to God; he did not turn aside to the left or to the right (2 Chronicles 34:1-2). It is clear that there is no age limit as to when or how you can serve God. There is no age limit as to when you can experience the favour of the Lord and become successful at whatever you do in Christ (1 Timothy 4:12). People say, "Life begins at 40," but Josiah’s life says the opposite. I now know that life begins at any age of a human life. And for you to take off and become successful, it requires that you make the right choices and decisions regardless of your age. It is the quality of those choices and decisions, together with the discipline that you apply every day into the everyday process of life, that eventually determines the quality of your life. The Bible says Josiah was straight; he never looked sideways, but was always focused on what was right before God. He did not allow himself to be distracted by anything that came his way (Proverbs 4:25-27).

I look at my life today, and search and think about the things I have allowed to distract me from the great course of life with the Lord—and trust me, there have been many (Hebrews 12:1). I now wonder where my life would be with the help of the Lord if I hadn't allowed these distractions into my life. I wonder about the things I would have achieved and where I would be if I hadn't looked to the right or the left. That applies to you too; obviously, you must have been distracted and gone off course at some points in your life. You must have deviated and made bad decisions and choices. There is no doubt that this has had consequences on your life, but you do not have to believe that your life is going to take off at 40 again and wait. All you have to do is straighten the path of your life again. Do not accommodate distractions like Josiah did, and allow the grace of God—that comes by the precious price of the blood that Jesus paid on the cross for you—to be activated and reign over you as you invite Jesus to take control of your life again (Romans 5:17-18).

Josiah made this decision at the age of 8 years old. Imagine how wise he was at that age! At the age of 20, he started one of the greatest reforms in Israel. He destroyed all the altars meant for the idols across all Israel. He did not spare anything that would stand between him and the Lord. He tore down the altars and the Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel (2 Chronicles 34:3-4). He had no time to play. However, when it comes to us, we do not have problems deciding to go back to the Lord. We would jump at every opportunity to renew our confession in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We do not even find problems confessing and repenting of our sins, but when it comes to the actual comeback in the works of faith, we tend to have a more relaxed approach. We want to walk with God while carrying altars in our hearts. We have altars of unforgiveness, revenge, and sin, as we continue to crucify Christ again and again by continuing to live in our sinful nature every day (Hebrews 6:6). We have altars of gossip, slander, jealousy, witchcraft, and envy—which we crucify other Christians on so that we can feel better (Galatians 5:19-21). Even in your relationships, workplaces, and families, you are crucifying your partners and colleagues on these altars and calling yourselves followers of Jesus Christ every day. Christ puts it in this way: you cannot serve two masters at the same time, let alone many masters including yourself (Matthew 6:24). You have got to make a deliberate decision to reform your life today like Josiah, and allow the fruits of the Spirit who lives inside you to be manifested. You have got to let love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control be manifested in us as we walk with Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). Reforms are desperately needed in our lives today.

In addition, in the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah started rebuilding the temple. It was a project. He took the funds from the temple, employed supervisors, and laborers to carry out the work of rebuilding the temple (2 Chronicles 34:8-10). Josiah was not even joking about it. Similarly, we have got to start rebuilding our lives. The Bible says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and you have got to pay attention to the whole of it (1 Corinthians 6:19). You have got to start making changes on how you live, eat, dress, and how well you live with others. You have got to demonstrate love in your life through service, for you know God's Spirit dwells in it. You have got to check your heart, your attitudes, and the motives you have in your heart; you have to look at your feelings too. Do you like you? You can't say you like or love others if you don't demonstrate that to yourself first—that is a lie. You are lying not only to yourself but to the Holy Spirit too (1 John 4:20). Reforms are definitely needed today in your life. Josiah did it, and you have got to make it a project to reform your life too. You have to invest in yourself, use the resources around you to build you, and be accountable to other people as well. If you are surrounded by the church, you have got to ask people in the faith to hold you accountable for the changes you have proposed to do in your life today (James 5:16). If you are married or in a relationship, talk to your partner about the changes you want to implement in your life and ask them to check on your progress every day. The reforms are worth it.

Look at what happened to Josiah: during the process of clearing and rebuilding the temple, the Book of the Law was found. They took it to King Josiah to inform him. When Josiah read it, he tore his robes and repented to God in humility for the sake of Israel (2 Chronicles 34:14-19). He sent his officials to go and consult the prophetess Huldah and inquire from her the word of the Lord. Then God spoke to Huldah to tell Josiah's officials that He was going to punish Judah and Israel for what they had done, and that all the curses pronounced on them by the Lord would happen. However, the Lord said something interesting and personal to Josiah. The Lord said:

"Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’" (2 Chronicles 34:26-28)

In other words, God adjourned the punishment of Judah and Israel during the reign of Josiah. That is the mercy and grace of God. Similarly, you will experience the abundant mercies and grace from our Lord Jesus Christ if we become humble, sensitive to His word, and carry out reforms through total repentance and surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ (James 4:10; 1 John 1:9).

It is time to reform our lives.

May the name of the Lord be glorified in you through this article, in Christ Jesus.