As for ME and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Did you know that the most spiritual thing you can do sometimes is say “no”? I literally just did it, and it was so hard. I serve in a women’s Bible study at my church. I teach, I lead devotions, I mentor. My leader recently asked if I could take on a new level of leadership. She explained the new role and asked me to pray about it. I did. I sought the counsel of people who know and love me. I took honest stock of my life right now (which happens to include “the change of life” and my baby leaving for college) and I said, “no”… but not before I wrestled… really wrestled with it. What if I disappointed my leader (whom I love)? Was I just being selfish or trying to avoid change (which I’m not a huge fan of in the first place)? This would be an opportunity to serve the Lord in a greater way… isn’t that a good thing? It took being still with my heavenly Father, laying all the pieces before Him, being very honest with myself and Him. Slowly the answer became clear… yes… it could be a good thing, but right now is not the time for “one more new thing.” My heart, my mind, my soul (and my body) are maxed. Today I am serving the Lord by recognizing my limitations and saying “no.”
The first part of Joshua 24:15 is a personal declaration: As for ME… I will serve the Lord. Before I am part of the “we” of my household, I am me… a daughter of the King… a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend, and I must make the decision every day to serve God. My relationship with my heavenly Father must come first. It is here I am anchored in His love, encouraged by His promises, strengthened by His presence, informed by His wisdom and directed by His purposes. Here my life is filled and overflows with what I need to do what He has called me to do in all the roles and responsibilities He has entrusted to me. If I try to live my life in reverse, seeking to care for and love those in my life first (even with all intentions of caring for myself later) I find myself exhausted, frustrated, empty and resentful.
Start with setting aside time each day to worship God, pray, and read His Word. Some churches call this “devotionals”, others call it “quiet time” – either way, it’s important… so much so that even Jesus did it. Multiple times, the gospels tell us Jesus went away by Himself to pray. He, the God-man, perfect in all His ways and in unbroken fellowship with His Father at all times… HE had to set time aside to pray, to be with God, to be filled, strengthened, encouraged and comforted. If it was important for Him, it’s essential for us.
Serving the Lord with our lives doesn’t just involve praying and reading the Bible, however. It includes ordinary things like getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising. These might not seem super spiritual or even connected to serving God, but they are. The Bible calls our bodies “the temple of God” – everything we do in this life we do in our bodies, so it is important that we care for them.
It has been said, “you can not serve from an empty cup.” When thinking about physical cups filled with liquid, we are prone to nod our heads in agreement. If there’s nothing in the cup then it’s impossible to pour anything out of it. However, when it comes to our lives, we often forget this simple illustration, somehow believing that by working harder and longer, often to exhaustion, that we can serve God, filling the cups of those we love and serve by sheer force of will. This is a losing proposition.
If you’re like me, truly living out the declaration of Joshua 24:15 won’t be easy. It requires reworking priorities and developing daily intentionality around nurturing heart, mind, soul, and body. One thing I know for certain, the payoff will be worth it: a life fully centered on God and a heart filled by Him to overflowing so that we can truly serve the Lord well.
Blessings,
Linda
{to see the previous post in this series click here: Choosing to Serve the Lord in Our World Today}
