"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 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." Joshua 24:15
Joshua was determined to serve the Lord; after all, he witnessed first hand the demise of those who didn't. (Remember he was 1 of the 2 (Caleb being the other) out of 603,550 men who survived the forty years of wilderness journey and actually entered the Promised Land). Honoring God requires not only a decision, but also a determination to so regardless of the circumstances. Will you continue to serve the Lord when your buddies want to take you to a bar after work to celebrate a positive ending to a business deal? Will you have the courage to say no? Will you take a stand when your current boy-girl/friend wants you to engage in immoral, sinful activities? Will you risk losing yet another potential mate? Serving the Lord involves honoring Him through calamity and affluence; through the easy and the difficult choices with both words and actions. Pressure and fear of consequences should not keep you from honoring God.
Where should you start? You can start by living a life of obedience. It takes continuous efforts and determination. Some might say that serving the Lord is a sacrifice, but it should be one that you are willing to make, considering that God sent His son to die a "sacrificial" death on the cross for YOU. Honoring Him should be a joy.
You can honor Him in your business dealings.
. Are you known as a fair business man/woman or as a person who will stop at nothing to ensure results?
. Do you cut corners to save a dime? Do you take God to your board meetings or do you leave Him at the door?
You can honor God in your romantic relationships.
. Are you a submissive wife or a deceitful woman who fights to get her way? Are you a man who loves his wife and put his family first or do you play around and go outside your marriage? You can honor Him in your family.
. Do you have a minute to spare in the morning to pray with your family or do you rush out the door to face your busy life with yet another business meeting before dawn, and without taking the time to praise the Lord for the opportunity to see another day?
Honor God by doing good works isn't something we do on occasion. It's should be a lifestyle. God is looking for people who are willing to sacrifice certain things in order to spend time with Him. He's looking for those who are serious about getting to know Him, those who leave the office early not because they need to hit the Gym before the crowd, or because they have to catch their favorite television shows. He is looking for those who leave work for the benefits of spending some quiet time with Him before the spouse and the children arrive home. You can also honor God by resisting temptations, by reading your Bible, by responding peacefully to someone who mistreats you, and by doing random act of kindness to complete strangers. Some people are waiting to honor God in a great way while missing out on numerous daily opportunities to glorify Him. Do you have Joshua kind of determination? Take a stand for God by living right, and leading by example. Take the time to find ways to honor Him. Be alert, be diligent and honor God in all that you do and be blessed.
Praise the Lord
