DECISION TO SERVE GOD
JOSHUA 24:14-29; PSALM 16; MATTHEW 19:13-15
The Israelites were asked to choose between serving the true God and the gods of the land they entered. Oftentimes, we are confronted with choices between God or mammon, eternal or temporal.
Making decisions about one’s life and future is not as simple as choosing which shoes to wear to work. Framing a situation and weighing the alternatives are important steps toward a good decision and a better future. If we have not made a decision to serve God and be holy, we will continue to struggle with a lot of distractions.
When we express poor judgment of values, the outcome is usually a bad or superficial choice. Like the Israelites, many of us need guidance in the decisions we make. Joshua guided the people; he told them the implications of insincere homage and half-choices (Joshua 24:20).
Some of our troubles and inefficiencies are due to our half-choices. Let us seek guidance, weigh our interests, and be open to the truth, and then we shall be decisive like Joshua, who said, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).
Similarly, in the gospel, Jesus calls us to be childlike not childish (Matthew 19:14). This means that we should be humble, teachable, obedient, forgiving, and trustful. We will make a decision that honours God if we are childlike.
LET US PRAY
Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
