Choices. We face them every day. Here are a few daily choices that we make. “How am I going to spend my time?” Who am I going to be friends with?” Where am I going to spend my money?”
Choices are important because they reflect the condition of our hearts. In the book of Joshua, Joshua shared a strong warning about making wise choices. Joshua said, “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. So be very careful to love the Lord your God... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 23:6, 11, and 24:15, New International Version)
These words were spoken just before Joshua’s death. Joshua was encouraging the children of Israel to make wise choices. The context of these verses is important to understand. Joshua knew that once he died the children of Israel would be tempted to turn from God and His plans for their lives by conforming to the people around them. This was a big problem because the people around the children of Israel did not love the Lord or serve Him. Conformity to these people would be displayed through the daily choices the Israelites would make---how they would spend their time, who they would befriend and marry, and where they would use their resources. In light of these possibilities, Joshua drew a clear line in the sand. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”
I love how practical God’s Word is for us. Two words jump off the page at me when I read this familiar verse of scripture. The words are “this day.” You see in order for you and me to make wise choices, we must embrace a “this day” approach to life. We must make the choice to follow God and His Word on “this day.” When we live with a “this day” kind of approach to life, it does not matter what we did yesterday or what we plan to do tomorrow. What counts is the choice that we make right now, in this moment.
As women, we have to make lots of choices. Every day things and people are vying for our time, attention, and resources. Bottom-line---our choices reflect our priorities! As we embrace a “this day” approach to making wise choices, we discover that every part of our lives are impacted. Certainly choosing Christ on “this day” will impact the way we spend our time, the type of friends we invite into our lives, and the way we use our resources. Choosing Christ in these important areas of life will position us to live out the powerful warning Joshua gave the children of Israel many years ago. We will be strong! We will be careful! We will be loving! Today are you facing an important decision? If so, take your decision to the Lord and discover the right way to live. Then, choose Christ!