Good king Amaziah

“[Amaziah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash.” 2 Kings 14:3
Amaziah is one of a handful of godly kings of Judah (in contrast, the northern kingdom of Israel had no godly kings). David is held up as the figurehead king, an example of a man who stopped at nothing in his pursuit of God first and foremost in life. His life was an example to the nation of what God could do with a man who was dedicated to Him: raising him up from a little-known family in a backwater town, from tending sheep to leading the nation. David never forgot his roots, and it was this humility in his life that made him one of Israel’s greatest leaders.
However, David’s godly example did not extend to his children. Solomon, who succeeded him as king, started off well, but drifted away from the Lord through the influence of his many wives.
Today we read about Amaziah. In his own life he served God faithfully, but his influence did not permeate the nation to the same extent as David’s (see 2 Kin. 14:4 – the people continued to worship other gods). However, his godly influence did extend further in his own family than did David’s: both his son, Azariah, and his grandson, Jotham, were also godly kings (2 Kin. 15).
We all have a sphere of influence. Some people’s are bigger than others’. But no matter how big or small the extent of our influence, are we setting a godly example in it?