Choose Today . . .
A couple of weeks ago, as I began to think about the year ahead, I wondered what New Year’s resolutions I should make. My initial thoughts revolved around more exercise, eating better, interacting with my family and friends, engaging my faith . . . the usual stuff. But to be honest, those resolutions make me feel defeated before I even begin. Because guess what? I made the same resolutions last year and can’t even remember how far they made it.
I began to think my mistake was in the approach and so I started pondering how 2017 could be different.
Over the last few weeks, I keep thinking about the story of Joshua. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, after the death of Moses, Joshua became the leader of the Israelite tribes in their conquest of Canaan. Interestingly, Muslim tradition also sees Joshua as the leader of the Israelites, following the death of Moses and they also hold him in high regard.
When I was a boy, there was a plaque hanging in our home displaying the last part of Joshua 24:15 on it . . . “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When I got older and read this verse in full, it seemed the plaque left off a powerful part. While the last part of the verse implies the choice we face when it comes to serving the Lord, the first part makes the choosing aspect explicit. The full verse reads . . .
“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (bold mine)
Ultimately, how we live our lives is a result of the choices we make. For most of us, decision-making has become a routine. We unconsciously make the same decisions day after day and they lead us to the same behavior day after day.
Most of us, don’t regularly make choices on things that will happen months or even weeks in the future. But we do make choices each and every day that not only impact the outcome of that day but impact the choices we make (or have the opportunity to make) later in the year.
This realization helped me see the problem with the way I approached previous years. I was looking ahead and committing to a new choice for the entire year. I probably made it a few weeks or even months, but ultimately slipped up or forgot the list and one by one each of my resolutions fell apart.
So what can we do to make 2017 different? Instead of putting my focus on resolutions, I’m going to focus on starting each day intentionally making the decision to choose.
So, for today, January 23, 2017, I choose to focus on the choices I make . . .
- Whom I will serve. (Others rather than myself)
- How I will learn. (Decide that I will learn each day)
- How I will feel. (Decide to have a positive attitude and decide how to eat and exercise as they will play a role in how I feel)
- How I will love. (Unconditionally and focused on others)
And if I make it through today successfully, or even if I don’t, tomorrow morning I will again awake and focus on the decisions I will make for that day.
Will you join me?
Scripture: But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15)
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Responses (2)
Mark —
Wow! Great stuff! I love the words you wrote. We don’t just get a “Mulligan” on 1 January. His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23). Every day we get to choose whom we will serve. Thank you.
Thank you Mark and what a great point to remember. His grace is indeed fresh every day!!