Joshua's Service Manual

Who wants to serve others these days? If you go to a restaurant or a store, you expect others to serve you. Or you just want to take care of yourself and be left alone. Remember when gas stations were called "service stations," and a worker would actually pump your gas, check your oil, and wash your windshield? Today, most of us go to the self-service pump. It's quick, easy, and requires no interaction with another person. That's fine for buying gas, but there's something very wrong with a self-service life.

Thomas Carlyle said that the history of the world is but the biography of great men. Jesus, though, gave greatness an unexpected definition when he said, "Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43).

Joshua would have agreed. As an old man approaching the age of 110, he gathered God's people for some final words of exhortation. In two famous verses (Joshua 24:14-15), he mentions serving six times! What are the key principles in Joshua's service manual?

Service is a logical choice. Joshua said, "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness" (v. 14). Service flows naturally from a worshiper's heart. Healthy fear for the Lord causes us to reject other gods and "worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28, 29). His grace motivates us to obey. When we leave the "worship service" after church on Sunday, our worship isn't over—and neither is our service! When we take God seriously, it's only logical to serve him faithfully throughout the week.

Service is a personal choice. "Choose for yourselves . . . whom you will serve" (v. 15). It's great if God has blessed you with faithful parents, a skillful Bible teacher, or a Christian friend who's had a positive impact on your life; but you must choose "for yourself" to serve God. No one else can make that decision for you.

Serving God is an urgent choice. "Choose . . . this day whom you will serve" (v. 15). Don't put off serving the Lord. Do it "this day." You may have served the Lord in the past, but how will you serve him today? You may have big ideas about how you will serve the Lord in the future, but how will you serve him today? Your church may have accomplished great things in the past, but how will you serve him together "this day"?

Serving God is a family choice. "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Joshua was confident his household would serve God together. Parents can't control all of our children's decisions, but we can set an example that says, "Serving the Lord is our family's top priority." We can take our sons and daughters on mission trips, encourage them to find a ministry at church, and take a couple of hours on Saturday morning to rake leaves or shovel snow for the shut-ins down the street. We can be hospitable and use our homes for ministry. We can show our kids that life isn't just about accumulating more toys; it's about serving God and others. Even if you're the only Christian in your family, remember: the church is God's household (1 Timothy 3:15), so you can partner with others in your church family to serve the Lord.

There's a story about a man who cried out, "Dear God, look at all the suffering and anguish in the world. Why don't you send help?" And God responded, "I did send help. I sent you!"