Listen

“So now, revere the Lord. Serve God honestly and faithfully. Put aside the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if it seems wrong in your opinion to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Choose the gods whom your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But my family and I will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14-15

Think

“Choose this day whom you will serve” sounds like Joshua is asking the Israelites to make one big decision. But there’s another question underneath it: What is the organizing principle of your life?

We all serve something: approval, achievement, comfort, security, certainty, acceptance, etc. None of these things is necessarily bad, but out of balance, they can become the foundation on which we organize our choices.

Joshua asks the Israelites to notice what they’ve inherited, what their surrounding culture values, and what they themselves will then choose. Wisdom requires that same kind of honesty from us.

Before asking, “What should I do?” it can help to ask, “What is driving me to choose this? Am I serving fear? Approval? My own comfort? Or am I becoming more grounded in the love of God and neighbor?”

Wisdom shifts our attention from the choice before us to our instincts beneath the surface. Wise choices become easier to recognize when we know what we want our lives to serve.

Holle Tubbs

Question to Ponder:

What’s an organizing principle of your life by default? (Approval, comfort, certainty, achievement, etc.)

Pray

God of wisdom, help me notice your voice, trust your love, and choose the path that leads to life. Amen.

Go

Wisdom grows every time we pause, listen, and choose love.