The year 2019 may have been a year when many of us had to make some sort of decisions. One of the most challenging decisions I had to make was to leave a familiar place where my family and I have been living for fifteen years. We relocated to another state: somewhere where we have never visited but all we knew was that it was time for us to go. The more challenging part is that, our children had to leave all their friends and all they knew to start all over.
Making decisions can feel overwhelming. You may have a million options to choose between for everything. We are living at the age when we have more than we can imagine to choose from. One could say that, there are insurmountable goals and expectations for us women. Goals such as being the best caregiver for our children, the best partner for our husbands, the best friend anyone could ask for, and at the same time, the best servant in ministry and the list goes on. However, sometimes we do not realize that we developed these things into our little gods. Sometimes we forget that we made the choice to accept Christ as the Lord of our lives.
After Moses dies, Joshua leads the people in conquest and gets them established in the land. Then, as his death approaches, Joshua calls Israel together once again to challenge them to renew the covenant and confirm their willingness to serve the Lord. Like Moses, he offers them a choice. They must serve the Lord or serve the gods of the surrounding nations. Everyone served a god of some sort; it was just a matter of which one. Either way, Joshua said, they will reap the consequences of their choice. Joshua expresses his personal commitment to the Lord in Joshua 24: 14-15.
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15.
I want to point out two main points today, especially as we start this new year and have great expectations from God.
- Serve God exclusively (Verse 14: In Jeremiah 31:34, God seems to have forgotten Israel’s past sin. However, they all started as idol worshipers. The real test of our faithfulness to God in most cases is our power to continue steadfastly in one course of conduct when the excitement of conflict is removed, and the enemies with which we have to contend are the insidious allurements of ease or custom amid the common place duties of life.” (Redpath). God wants us to serve Him in sincerity and in truth. John 4: 24 reminds us that God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
- Choose God or choose your alternative (Verse 15: Joshua gave the people of God the command to make a choice, who they will serve. It was not a case of if they will serve, because everyone serve someone-either the devil (intentionally or not), or the LORD. You are either all in or all out.
We have a choice to serve God or ignore Him. As an ancient patriarch, Joshua could dictate what actions his family took. Obviously, he could not dictate their innermost feelings, desires, and beliefs. Keeping the covenant was largely about external actions, and probably more externally focused than most Christian families would be happy with today. As Godly parents, we have a responsibility to make sure that what goes on in the home is honoring to God and to dismiss activities that are not.
As we begin this new year, let us not just talk about it, but let ask God to help us to live on purpose for His kingdom. One of the best ways to live on purpose for God is to serve God exclusively and Choose the one true God-The Great “I AM”. He will transform you from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18) and will one day welcome you into His house with the words ‘well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matt. 25:21).
Women on Purpose for God 