You In?

There are a number of times that we face a fork in the road and we have to go right or left, you have to make a choice.  If you are married you made that choice when you said, “I do” to your spouse.  You can do good or you can do evil.  You can tell the truth or not.  You are either a Bears fan or Packers fan, you can’t be both.  In fact, to try and not make a choice might be worse than making a choice.  A spouse who says I do, but has other intimate relationships outside of their spouse causes emotional hurt and pain for more than just two people because of an indecision.  To only tell the truth partially can lead to hurt relationships and long lasting damage to all involved.  Sometimes you have to choose A or B, there is not option C.

We read in the Bible that a man name Joshua and all those following him reached a fork in the road in their relationship with God and the future of their nation.  They could A – worship many gods from many different nations, which in the past had lead to destruction and pain, or they could B – worship the one true God which was challenging and did not guarantee an easy life.  After a bit of deliberation about this decision Joshua stood up before all the people and said, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NRSV)  Joshua was a leader of all the people of Israel, but you notice he did not speak for all of them, just his own household.  Joshua decided to lead by example and made a clear decision that day.  Joshua and his household would totally follow God.  Not partially, not when convenient, but completely follow God as best as they could. 

Each day we are faced with the same fork in the road, even if it may not be as clear.  You open your checkbook, and you have to ask, do I serve God with all my heart, or serve the god of stuff?  As you look to your planner, you are faced with a fork; do I serve God, or something else?  To serve God doesn’t mean you hand over all your time and money to a church, but to God.  You create a budget based on giving to what you feel led for God first, and then see how much is left, instead of giving God your leftovers.  Instead of trying to jam in time to invite your neighbor to church, or help at VBS, you make those things a priority, and then use your remaining time for everything else.

What do you choose?  Understand God is not seeking for you to just make a verbal commitment like Joshua did, but to live out your decision.  If you choose God, it is not a sometimes or when I feel like it commitment, but instead a lifestyle, that happens one step at a time.  God is not seeking partially committed people to help when it is easy.  God is seeking dedicated, humble people, to be His hands and feet, to share His love, and to witness the Good News.  So, are you in?

 

Pastor Bill

 

Discussion Questions

  1. What makes it hard to say yes to God for you?
  2. To follow God totally, what one area of your life that might need to look different?  How would it change?
  3. How can you encourage others seeking to follow after God and serve him?