One of the great biblical decisions recorded in the Bible was made by Joshua, the successor to Moses.

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua’s decision to serve the Lord was not driven by emotionalism.  It was not a sentiment that just popped into his mind, but, instead, it was a fixed purpose that he was determined to do at all costs.  It did not matter what others did.  His decision was not driven by popular opinion, but rather it was the conclusion of his conviction and faith in God.

Let us not miss the fact that Joshua’s decision was an exclusive one.  It was not a decision to serve both God and gods.  That is called syncretism, and the Jews of the Old Testament were guilty of such for most of their history.  Joshua, however, decided to serve God with all his house and to serve Him alone.  Have you made an exclusive decision to serve God only?  Most of us would say yes since we do not make idols and worship them on man-made altars.  But consider the following.

We cannot serve both God and mammon, for, as Jesus said, the one who tries will either “hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).  The word for mammon was a common Aramaic word for riches (Vine).  It referred to money and the things money can buy.  It is easy to become too attached to the material things of this world.  That has been the downfall of many people of God over the years.  This is why Paul reminds us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  The dangers of riches can be avoided if we master material things instead of allowing them to master us.  We can easily do this if we make the decisive decision to serve God.

We cannot serve God if we are too interested in pleasing man.  Paul wrote, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).  We cannot put both God’s will and man’s will first at the same time.  We have to decide what is more important to us—gaining man’s approval or God’s.  There were some in the days of Jesus who would not confess Him because they were more interested in making man happy.

John 12:42-43 (ESV)
⁴²  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³  for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.       

When we worry too much about what man thinks and become too interested in being popular with others, our service to God suffers.  Joshua was too smart to put his trust in dumb idols, and he feared God too much to worry about what man thought about his decisions.  He decided that serving God was more important than anything else, and he lead his household down that path.  Before we can actually serve God acceptedly, we must make up our minds that it is what we really want to do.  What will you decide?   

As you wind down for the night, think about these things