There is this beautiful verse that adorns the wall of almost every Christian home ‘As for me and my house, we’ll serve you Lord’. That’s a definite piece of God we all like to have in our homes! There is one aspect of this verse that never captures our attention at first sight though i.e. the story behind it!

 

I was reading this amazingly dramatic book in the Old Testament, called Joshua. It talks about how the Israelites actually entered the Promised Land. The book elaborates on their conquest and settlement. More so, it also talks about second chances. Joshua, the redeemer – leader of the Israelites took on the mantle from Moses and reinstates the law of God after all the victories. While at the end of his life, having fought wars and leading conquests, Joshua addresses his people. Knowing the Israelites and their frequent fall-out with God, Joshua speaks these words of powerful insinuation. Ref Joshua 24. He literally pushes them to make a choice between the God of Israel and other gods. He invites them to make their choice between false and true worship, between present and future, between indulgence of their lusts and the approval of their conscience. But as for himself, the choice is made. The experience of having walked with God in service had given him an unswerving conviction in his faith and allegiance.

Choose this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house we’ll serve you Lord,Lifting holy hands in worship. We will not bow down to the gods of men, we will worship the God of Israel. – lines from a song by Joshua Aaron inspired by this one verse.

I am a Christian by birth and a follower of Christ by choice. I do not have other gods before me. Or so I thought! Other gods is an easy term to dismiss with reference to religion, and I’m sure there’s more to that statement. I guess the ‘gods of men’ talks about the lesser gods that we’ve built into our lives and minds. The very thing that takes up all the space in our minds. It could be our spouse, children, friend, work! What about ourselves? For some of us we are our own gods. Our pride, ego, self- indulgence, knowledge and so many attributes of our lives have taken precedence over what should have been. In certain cases our zeal to serve God has gone ahead of our zeal for God himself.

To serve God, I guess one needs to make a choice every day to diligently put away everything that creeps into our head. Choosing God above all else is an act of worship that requires our very lives, an undivided heart that submits and a mind that pursues Him.