Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” vs. 15
Joshua 24:15-18
It was crunch time for the Israelites. They were in the Promised Land and now Joshua wanted to know who they intended to serve. There hadn’t been many options in the barren waste of the wilderness, but now they were living in a land where there were a variety of gods to choose among. And Joshua puts them on the spot. And like any good leader he lets them know exactly where he stood. They could do as they wished, but he and his household would be serving the Lord. That’s how faith questions get settled in most of our families. While faith can’t be forced upon anyone, leaders do make choices. The decisions they make about matters of faith will determine the worship practices of the family. And those are not insignificant choices. Parents have an enormous influence on what their children come to believe about God and the Church. When their faith is sincere and disciplined, when prayer and worship are a regular part of family life, children are much more likely to remain connected to Jesus. Where hypocrisy reigns children will decide quickly that there are better ways to spend Sunday mornings, and they disappear from church in a hurry.
Thought for the Day: What faith leaders did I experience in my family?
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