| By Amelia Moses |
The story of Joash, the boy king, is a great example in many ways. (2 Chronicles 22 - 24)
One of them is of how impactful it is in showing us the role of a support system. Joash was rescued, hidden and brought up in secret by three people that we know of – his aunt Jehosheba, her priest husband Jehoiada who becomes guide, mentor and father figure to Joash, and the nurse Joash is rescued with.
Together, the three of them protect and guide Joash’s early life. Jehoiada becomes the foundation on which Joash’s life is built. All that is good and true in Joash’s life comes from him.
In today’s context, this is something we can imbibe from the life of Jehoiada – a mentor and father figure, leading a child - a future leader, and building him to fulfil his purpose. (Why his mentorship did not stand the test of time and his absence remains to be discussed, perhaps at a different time.)
We come across many such instances in our own lives, where we are called to fill in roles in mentoring and guiding, and we fail to fulfil them well. We do not see these opportunities nor do we invest in them to build our people, in times of trouble or confusion.
It is time to step in and shoulder that burden, of building futures and creating safe spaces that not only nurture physical growth, but also mental and spiritual well-being. That means sometimes, rescuing someone from evil, hiding them from it, and keeping them alive and well under the safe space of your time, your wisdom and your prayer.