Wednesday, June 21 – Joshua 24:15

“But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Most of us appreciate some things about our upbringing and wish others were different. We loved somethings while other things scarred us. Like the Israelites, we have to decide how we will live, whom we will follow, who will we listen to, and whom will we serve. Raising your family in the way of the Lord may be completely different than how you were raised. Even if you were raised to honor the Lord, the experience changes when you become a parent. Even from the time these words were spoken, our way of serving the Lord has changed because of Jesus. Serving the Lord means living for Him. Colossians 3:1-3 says, “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

This decision is more than a one-time commitment; it is a daily, moment-by-moment surrender to serve the Lord. It means more than living according to His commands; it’s seeking the things above instead of the temporary things of earth. When we begin living for Christ in this way, our obedience overflows to our families, pointing them to Him and helping us fulfill His call on our lives together.

• How have your parent’s beliefs shaped you? What are some ways you desire to lead your family or others close to you differently than you were raised?
• What are some goals you have made for yourself and your family to help you seek Jesus daily?
• Pray and ask God that you and your family would have a heart to live for Him.