As for me and my house
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15
Reflection
Joshua is old. He has gathered all the tribes at Shechem for a final assembly, after years of victories and faithfulness to God. And there he issues the challenge that has crossed the centuries: "choose you this day whom ye will serve". He does not impose, manipulate or threaten; he invites a conscious decision. And he sets an example: even if everyone chooses other gods, he has already decided. The freedom to choose, incidentally, is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. He does not want servants by force, but by choice.
Notice the "this day". The decision to serve God is not an abstract resolution about the future, it is a choice for this day. The Christian life is built out of "todays". There are temptations, weariness and pressures that reopen the question every day: whom will I serve today? God, money, fear, the opinion of others, my own comfort? The answer is not given once for all; it is renewed each day, in small decisions that add up to a direction.
Then comes the most famous part: "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD". Joshua takes on the spiritual leadership of his family. He does not say "I will serve, and everyone can fend for themselves", but includes his house. That does not mean he controls anyone's faith: faith is not inherited by decree. But it means that, by his example and declared decision, he creates an environment in which serving God is the normal thing in the home. Children and spouses perceive what is the real priority in a family, and the atmosphere of a home is shaped by visible choices.
How does this translate today? Perhaps into praying together, even for a few minutes. Into reading a passage of the Bible around the table. Into asking forgiveness in front of the children. Into prioritizing the community of faith. Into declaring, aloud, who is the Lord of your house. If you live alone, the same decision applies to your home: make it a place where God is welcome. Choose today. And let that choice shape the atmosphere of where you live.
Prayer
Lord, today I choose to serve You. Renew that decision in me every day, in small things and great. May my house be a place where Your presence is welcome and Your name is honored. Give me courage to be an example, and grace to love those who live with me. Amen.
Put it into practice
Declare aloud today: "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD". Then choose one simple habit to live it (a prayer at the table, a short reading, a request for forgiveness) and begin this very week.
To reflect on
What choices in your daily life show whom you really serve, and what atmosphere do they create in your home?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).