Choose Today

READ

Following Christ requires full commitment, not half-hearted compromise. 

The Way of Christ is fundamentally at odds with the way of the world. We cannot worship Him while bowing to power, wealth, status, or comfort. To belong to His ecclesia means making a continual, moment-by-moment decision: Will we walk in the Way that leads to life, or will we surrender ourselves to the false gods so readily offered by the world around us?

This is not a new dilemma. Scripture shows us that from the very beginning, God’s people have wrestled with the temptation to blend in with surrounding cultures and chase after idols.

Let’s take a moment to read Joshua 24:14-15: 

“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.”

REFLECT 

Few things confuse or disillusion nonbelievers more than when the church tries to divide its loyalty between God and the world. When we claim that God is our King but submit to greed, pride, or the allure of influence, we obscure the Gospel and mischaracterize the God we claim to serve. 

Each day, we are called to recommit ourselves to serving Christ with undivided hearts. This means we must “put away forever” the idols we have clung to in the past—both personally and corporately. 

However, we cannot reject what we refuse to name. We must honestly confront the false gods that have captured our affections and acknowledge the destruction they have brought—both within the Church and throughout the world. We must confess the damage done when the Church has bowed to money, power, and pleasure. Only then can we truly commit to a different way. 

Our decision to “serve the Lord alone” should not be an isolated commitment. In today’s passage, Israel renews their covenant with God together. Notice what Joshua says when he pledges his loyalty to Yahweh: “As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” 

Faithfulness is sustained in community. We need one another to help hold us accountable and keep us from assimilating into the culture of the world around us. We need loving brothers and sisters to call us out when we are giving ourselves over to false gods that steal our joy and harm our relationships. 

The Church is meant to be a distinct, other-worldly place. We are meant to operate as heaven’s outpost on earth, a Kingdom under One—and only One—authority. We must do the hard work within ourselves and in our communities to assure that our loyalties are not divided. 

We must surrender to Christ, not our passing cravings.

We must champion mercy rather than chase after money.

We must live for His Passion, not for our pride or politics.

We must elevate the resurrection, not our reputations. 

We must worship God alone. 

RESPOND

Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read. 

• What false gods compete for your allegiance? What does it look like today to serve the Lord alone? 

• What modern idols have captured the Church’s attention? In what ways might you lovingly guide our holy family back to serving the One True God?

REST

Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying: 

Most High and Holy God! You are the Only One worthy of our devotion, honor, and praise! Give us eyes to see when we are attempting to serve both You and the world. Help us to put away our idols forever, so that Your Name would be made great! Lord, show us what it looks like to commit ourselves completely to You, both personally and corporately. Humble us with Your loving correction. Remind us that You don’t demand our total allegiance because You are power-hungry or overbearing. You command us to surrender to You because You are the Source of all life, goodness, joy, and love! You want only what is best for us, and You are what is best for us! Guide us as we learn day by day how to submit to You wholeheartedly. Amen.

Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.