As for me and my house...

This song sung by singer/songwriter, Christopher Williams, is one by Bob Dylan (I just like this version better).  It is the song that came to mind for me as I prepared for yesterday's sermon based on Joshua 24:1-15.  This chapter has the most well-known verse from Joshua that finds its way onto many a plaque "As for me and my household. we will serve the Lord" and connected to it "choose this day who you will serve".

We live in a culture that prides itself on independence and "pulling our selves up by our bootstraps".  We often focus on taking care of me and my own; we have a commercial industry that tells us again and again that its all about "me".

But as Bob Dylan reminds us in this song "it might be the devil; it might be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody".  And as Joshua calls us to choose who will be serve - we are all serving somebody or something.

We may be serving our calendars, our jobs, our checkbooks, our pride, success, fear....

The choices that we make indicate who or what we are serving.  What guides your choices?  What has first place in your  life?  What/who is it that you just can't say "no" to?  Who or what are you serving?

"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord"

In many ways, its not about making God first in  your life as opposed to second, third, fourth, but rather in choosing to serve the Lord, this choice infuses the rest of our life and our other choices. Choosing to serve God is reflected in how we spend our money or our time, how we use our gifts and talents, how we live in relationship with one another.  God does not want to be a separate part of our lives, but in all of our  lives.

"Choose this day who you will serve".

What might change for you  if all your choices and decisions were made with God in mind, with God as the guide for your life?  How might that change your life?

How will you finish this sentence: "As for my and my house, we will serve...."