How many of us who are believers have the last words of this verse hanging in our home? Raise your hand.

We love this declaration! We’re telling the universe and reminding ourselves that we’re choosing God above all else.

I must ask, though, is it the truth?

Do we serve the Lord instead of other little-g gods?

There’s an old adage that says if you want to know who you serve, look at your checkbook (or your banking app). I think that’s a pretty good indicator. Do the entries there support the declaration that we serve God or does it reveal that we serve self?

No, no! Don’t think I mean that every entry should be to a church or ministry. That expense at the grocery store where you bought the food to feed the mission field God placed in your home is one showing you are serving Him.

Neither am I decrying the vacation, car payment, or new clothes.

I’m asking where’s your heart in the balance?

In a battle for mind and time between God and your spouse, who wins? God and your kids? God and your work? God and your money? God and your house? God and your team? God and your politics?

Now, stop. I’m not saying you shouldn’t put your family at the head of your service list or that having and taking care of material possessions is wrong. I am saying our mindset must be such that our providing for our families and loving them is an extension of our service to our Lord, and caring for the possessions He provides us is correct stewardship. As with every command God gives, though, it’s about our heart.

See, these Israelites loved God and loved their families. They also loved having the cool things their neighbors had, the neat tokens and traditions. They added these to their hearts as gods of equal importance to YHWH.

Let’s take a few minutes today and ask God to show us everything we’ve allowed to slip into our hearts as being of equal importance to Him. When He does, let’s agree with Him that’s what we’ve done, then make all the shifts necessary to correct that.

Oh, and let’s let our family see this. Our spouse, our children need to see us making these course corrections as moving into obedience to our loving Heavenly Father instead of a legalistic chain we’re locking around our necks. This is what helps them grow in the Lord – no matter the age.

Let’s strive today to make “as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” the absolute truth. Then we can do it again tomorrow, too.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.