Joshua 24:14-18
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
For the person with an addictive personality, there is no middle ground. An alcoholic can’t have “just one drink.” The person addicted to nicotine cannot smoke a lone cigarette every month or two. Someone hooked on gambling is not able to play one slot machine and walk away. Even if we do not have an addictive personality, many of us have trouble drawing a line in the sand on certain things.
Some of us are permissive parents who cannot say “No” to our children. Others have trouble with budgets and making wise decisions about where and how to spend their money. Still others are so eager to be popular and accepted that they say one thing to one person and another to someone else – and hope the two never meet! The bottom line is that in many instances in life, we are all over the map with regard to who we associate with – and how… where our allegiances lie…and what matters to us!
Even worse, a lot of us cannot decide whether we are totally in with God or not. We want desperately to be “good Christians” – to live well and please God… and most certainly to be assured of an eternity in heaven. But we still want to dabble in sin… to share in juicy gossip or enjoy our “one little vice”… to occasionally slip a little slur or expletive into our conversation or behave badly and chalk it up to “too much to drink” or a “night out with the boys/girls.” You know the phrase… “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!” We want to play fast and loose with our faith… and hope that no one (especially GOD) notices!
None of us is perfect, and there will certainly be slip-ups for each of us. But when we come to a place where we can boldly claim, “I am serving the LORD - I have decided to be totally in… to go whole hog… to make every effort to follow Him and live more like Jesus every day,” we have turned a HUGE corner in our Christian faith walk. When we make a concerted effort to lay down the vices and sins – even the most minor of infractions – we have stepped onto a higher plain. We have attained a deeper level of commitment and intimacy with God.
In a way, this passage is telling us to get off the fence. You’re either totally in, or you’re not in at all. You can’t be a recovering addict and still dabble in your addiction. You can’t be a follower of Jesus who desires a deep and meaningful relationship with Him then choose to fiddle with occasional sin or “little vices.” And honestly, if you are fully committed to Christ, you won’t want to do this! But it takes dedication, effort, and a concerted determination to do better – a steadfastness to live for Jesus each and every day.
I can’t adequately express how incredible this is. But I can tell you that the transformation is profound. Living with purpose and an “all-in” commitment to serve and obey God is a game changer! Everything about your life will feel different… better… more focused… and joyful! I know that many people feel that choosing to wholeheartedly serve God will mean giving up something “fun” or comfortable. But the truth is that this is liberation in its highest form!
Choose who you will serve… the choice IS yours! But as for me and my house, we are serving the LORD… and this has made all the difference! Are you ready to do the same?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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