Jehoram…departed without being wanted. – 2 Chronicles 21:20, AMP

After the death of King Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram reigned over Judah. Heavily influenced by the house of Ahab (for Jehoram was married to Ahab’s daughter), Jehoram secured his rule by murdering his potential rivals for the throne – his brothers. He then dragged the people of Judah away from worshiping God, compelling them to engage in idol worship. In return for his evil ways, God smote the people of Judah, took away captive Jehoram’s children, wives, and possessions, and struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease that slowly, painfully killed him over a two-year period. Despite all of this evil that fell upon Jehoram, perhaps the saddest thing the Bible has to say about him is found in 2 Chronicles 21:20 – he died without being wanted by anyone.

Jehoram’s eight-year reign over Judah was marked by pride, lust for power, and self-actualization. Jehoram was all about Jehoram, and everybody knew it. Due to his propensity to satisfy self, his actions drove people away from him, and he died utterly alone.

Many modern cultures love to preach the religion of self-actualization. The goal of this faith is not to build up others but to build up self in areas like self-esteem, wealth, status, and power. The problem is that self-actualization often results in others-degradation, and when your actions put down others in order to elevate self, nobody really cares for you.

Living a life for self may not drive people to become murderous like Jehoram. But, it very well may drive them to lie, cheat, steal, or step on people in order to achieve their goals. Such people may have “friends” for a time, but when the money runs out or when their life’s light stops burning, they will not be missed.

Self-actualization is the world’s way. Others-actualization is God’s way. Remember to esteem others better than yourself (Philippians 2:3), for by living a life characterized by lifting up others, you are assured never to die alone or unwanted.