A Call to choose

Choosing to Serve: A Call to Faithful Living

In our journey through life, we often find ourselves at crossroads, faced with decisions that shape our path. One of the most profound choices we can make is determining whom we will serve. Will we dedicate our lives to the pursuit of worldly desires, or will we commit ourselves to serving the one true God?

This question echoes through time, from the ancient Israelites to our modern world. As we explore this theme, we’re reminded of Joshua’s powerful challenge to the people of Israel: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” This call to choose resonates with us today, urging us to examine our hearts and commit to a life of faithful service.

The journey of the Israelites serves as a poignant backdrop to this call. From their deliverance from slavery in Egypt to their conquest of the Promised Land, God’s faithfulness was evident at every turn. He parted the Red Sea, provided manna in the wilderness, and enabled them to cross the Jordan River. These miraculous acts weren’t just historical events; they were testimonies to God’s power and love for His people.

As we reflect on our own lives, we’re encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness. Just as the Israelites recounted God’s mighty deeds, we too should take time to recall how God has protected, strengthened, and provided for us. These memories serve as a foundation for our commitment to serve the Lord.

But choosing to serve God isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a daily commitment that requires us to “take up our cross” and follow Jesus. This means dying to our selfish ambitions and desires, and instead living for Christ. While this may sound daunting, it’s through this surrender that we find true joy, hope, and peace. We begin to live the life we were designed for – a life in harmony with our Creator.

The call to serve God is also a call to holiness. Just as God instructed the Israelites to be a holy nation, we too are called to set ourselves apart. This doesn’t mean retreating from the world, but rather being a light in the darkness. Our lives should point others to Jesus, demonstrating the transformative power of God’s love and grace.

In Romans 12, we’re reminded to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This imagery of a living sacrifice is powerful – it suggests an ongoing, active dedication of our lives to God. However, as living sacrifices, we can sometimes “wander off the altar.” We might find ourselves trying to serve other things, take the easy route, or do things our own way. The challenge is to repeatedly surrender ourselves to God, saying, “Whatever you’re calling me to do, I’m all in.”

This commitment to serve God isn’t about perfection, but about persistence. It’s about getting back on the altar when we’ve wandered off. It’s about confessing our shortcomings and allowing God to create in us a clean heart. As the Psalmist prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

As we choose to serve God, we may find areas of our lives that need surrender. Perhaps it’s an addiction we’ve been struggling with, or a compromise we’ve made in our workplace. Whatever it is, we’re invited to bring it before God, confessing our need for His help and recommitting ourselves to His service.

The beautiful truth is that as we surrender ourselves fully to God, we experience the fullness of His presence in our lives. As we give Him all of ourselves, we receive all of Him. This exchange is at the heart of what it means to serve God – it’s not about what we can do for Him, but about allowing Him to work through us.

Choosing to serve God also means aligning our will with His. It means seeking His guidance in our decisions, both big and small. It means studying His Word, seeking wise counsel from fellow believers, and being attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. As we do this, we begin to discern God’s will for our lives – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

The call to serve God is ultimately a call to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s a call to live out our faith in tangible ways, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that desperately needs His love. It’s about allowing our good deeds to shine before others, not for our own glory, but so that others might see and glorify our Father in heaven.

As we conclude, let’s remember that choosing to serve God is not a burden, but a privilege. It’s an invitation to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world. It’s a chance to experience the joy, peace, and purpose that come from living in alignment with our Creator’s design.

So today, let’s echo Joshua’s declaration: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Let’s commit to being faithful, obedient followers of Jesus, not just on Sundays, but in every aspect of our lives. Let’s choose to serve God with all our hearts, knowing that in doing so, we’re stepping into the fullness of life that He desires for us.

May we be a people who consistently choose God, who remember His faithfulness, and who live lives of holiness and purpose. As we do, may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of serving the one true God.

This blog is created off the back of a message I preached at Heart Church, you can listen to the message here