Warren Fisher, Descendant of Generations of Methodists

 

Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 

 

Reflection:

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” A little sign with these words from Joshua 24 hung in my grandparents’ kitchen. Those words made a big impression on me—not because they hung on the wall, but because my grandparents and my parents lived them every day. They lived these words in faithful worship every Sunday, and by showing up pretty much any other time the church doors were open. More importantly, however, they lived these words every day by serving others, treating everyone with dignity and respect, helping whenever and wherever they could, and resisting the temptations of other “gods.” They also worked hard to pass their faith on to their children and grandchildren and all those around them.

 

Today, it is easy to lose the sense of fear, or reverent awe, if you will, of the Lord. Our other gods may not be little metal idols made in foreign lands (though the phone in my pocket might come dangerously close to fitting that description at times). There are, however, plenty of lowercase “g” gods to tempt us—materialism, social status, and partisanship come quickly to mind.  

 

The idea of making the decision to serve the Lord for one’s “household” may seem offensively patriarchal to some now, but the reality is that decisions we make for ourselves as individuals do affect our families and all those around us who are influenced by our actions and examples. 

 

I am deeply grateful to my parents, grandparents, and generations before them for their commitment to serve the Lord with all faithfulness and for their efforts to share their faith and instill that commitment in me and everyone around them.

 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for the commitment of generations before me and for the faith they passed on by word and deed. Help me to live up to that legacy as I, too, strive to serve you with all faithfulness and pass on the legacy of faith I have received. Amen.