Our home, like many others I have seen, post this verse from Joshua 24:15 somewhere visible for others to see. For years we had a plaque just inside the door that had this verse on it. Let’s take a minute to talk about these words.
Joshua spoke this phrase in a longer sentence, in a lengthy discussion he was having with the children of Israel. Joshua had gathered all the people together and this was shortly before he was to die. He discussed the history of the Hebrew nation and then discussed the present state of affairs. He challenged the people to decide which God or gods they were going to serve. He then clearly stated what his house would do – they would serve the Lord.
Years ago when I pastored a church, I saw a phenomenon happen among the families of the church. One by one the families began leaving the church. Eventually they all left and my family was left alone. The families were different and at different places in their spiritual life, but they ended up having a particular reason in common for departing the fellowship.
Before I tell you what that common factor was among them, I want to acknowledge that I was a part of why they were leaving. I had some things I needed to learn and God must have known that I could not learn them in that situation. So the church eventually went away. But through the years, I thought about that common factor that those families mentioned to me among the reasons they needed to leave the church.
Most of the adults in the church were married, in their 30’s or 40’s and their children were still young and at home. These married adults still had parents who were living but were not a part of the church. And during those years these families were in the church, they were making significant changes according to what the scriptures taught. But I noticed that their parents, who were not in the church began to feel very uncomfortable with some of those changes.
And when these church members came to tell me they were leaving, many of them said, “We have spoken to our parents and they think we should leave this church.” This was one of the common factors that several families in that church gave me for making that change. At the time I thought this was strange.
I had taught the importance of honoring your parents and so I respected them for wanting to honor their parents, but I also thought those older parents outside the church were probably telling them to leave because they did not like the changes that were taking place in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives.
Let me tell you something else I have observed these many years later, usually from a distance. Those families that left that church eventually walked away from many of those changes they made in their life during those years they were in that church. Time often tells the story.
Sometimes we make decisions because 1) we do not like the direction God is taking us, or 2) we do not like the price we are having to pay for following the Lord. It is my opinion that many families and individuals make changes or leave situations for these two reasons.
Now that I am years older, I am seeing the same thing happen. But it is happening from the other side. I am seeing parents, with older children (in their 20’s or 30’s) start to change their commitments, values, standards, and convictions. I am seeing these parents who lived a certain way for many years, who taught their children the importance of living this way, change. And the changes they are making is to become more like their children – who did not adopt the choices, commitments, and standards of their parents.
Do you see what I am saying? Am I making myself clear? Years ago I saw married adults with younger children change because they did not want to lose the friendship, or the benefits, or the relationship they had with their parents. In these last few years, I have seen married adults with older children change because they did not want to lose the friendship, or the benefits, or the relationship they have with their adult children.
Joshua made it clear to the Hebrew people, what he and his family were going to do. He then challenged them to make a choice. He said, “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.”
I have come to a conclusion in my mind what is the biggest hindrance to Christians from following the Lord. It is not the love of money, the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh. These are challenges that all Christians must deal with. But I believe the biggest challenge to most Christians from fully following the Lord is found in the statement that Christ made to his disciples regarding the family.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Each person must decide for themselves. Are they going to place the importance of family members above what God wants them to do and how He wants them to live. What about you dear reader? Will you serve the Lord no matter what the cost?
