Personal Decision

"Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." -Joshua 24.14-15

Joshua is giving his final words to Israel. He recounts how nothing God has promised Israel has failed. He tells how God chose Abraham and then how Jacob went down to Egypt. He tells how God delivered the people and brought them into the Promised Land. And then he comes to what is recorded in verses 14 and 15. Because of everything God has done, the people are encouraged to fear God and serve Him. They are do do away with the false God's their ancestors worshiped and serve God.

However, Joshua does not force them to follow God, that isn't how this works. He tells them that if it is disagreeable to serve God then they can choose who they are going to serve. The god's of Ur, where Abraham came from, the god's of Egypt, or the god's of the Amorites. They are free to chose who they will worship, but Joshua tells them that he and all of his family, will be serving God. Each of this us is faced with a decision, whom shall we serve? What shall we live for?

I know that my great-grandfather was a minister for a while, and that is as far back as a I know. At the very least I am a fourth generation Christian. But there are those of my extended family that have no interest in serving God. My family history is marred with adultery, abandonment, alcoholism, and unwed parents. It is not a legacy I am particularly proud of. My family name has already been dragged through the mud, and there are some of the most recent generation that are bent on heaping as much mud on it as they can. They have come from the same heritage I have, but their choice is very different than mine.

I have come to peace with the fact that there is nothing I can do about their decisions. I have no control over the damage they do to my family name, but I do have control over what I do. I am committed to doing what I can to remove the mud that covers the past so that my children may be proud of their heritage. I have no control over the choices that my family makes, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Men, what is your decision? You have the choice to serve whom you will. Regardless of what you come from, you can change, or continue, the path into the future. You can set the tone and chart the direction for your family. Will you serve the Lord, or life for self? What example will you set to be followed.

Let us be men who serve the Lord. Let us set an example for others to follow after. Let our personal decision be to serve the Lord.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor