“You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”  ”All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”  The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone.” 

Joshua 24:22-24  (New Living

 Translation)  

Decisions, decisions!  Sometimes decisions are hard, especially when you like all of the choices. For instance, if you walk into the ice cream store and you happen to like all of the flavors, you are going to have a pretty difficult time choosing just one. 

Graduating students have to make decisions about where to continue their education, or what to do with their lives.  We all make decisions every day, but some decisions are monumental.  This weekend, some of our mid-high students are going on a Confirmation retreat where they will learn about decisions that affect their entire lives.  

We think of decisions as making choices, but not choosing is really making a choice as well, isn’t it? 

Joshua had been chosen to succeed Moses in leading the people of Israel.  Joshua had led them into the land promised to their ancestor Abraham.  Some of the people had been following the Lord, and others had been worshipping the idols of the land they had inhabited.   The day came when the people had to choose whether to follow God or whether to worship “false gods” or idols.  

We make choices every day.  Sometimes we decide to make money, position or power more important than God.  Sometimes we choose to allow God to be the most important one in our lives.  Oswald Chambers once said that every decision that we make is a decision for good or for evil. When we choose to help someone in need or to encourage someone who is down, we make a decision for good.  When we choose to not share the message of God’s love with others or not to help someone in need, we make a decision for evil.  Joshua told the people to choose wisely.  Throughout the Bible, we are reminded that all of our decisions affect more than just us; they affect the lives of our children and even their children and of others around us.  When we choose to share our faith in God with others, our faith is passed on to another generation as we tell again the stories of God’s faithfulness just as Israelite parents recounted God’s faithfulness to their children.  Each decision that we make today will affect someone’s life today. 

What decisions must you make today?  Will you choose wisely?  Will you choose God?

Jan McCoy is associate pastor of First United Methodist Church of Covington. She may be reached at jan.mccoy@ngumc.net.