We Will Serve the Lord

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens

– Psalm 8:1

We’re all worshipers in one way or another.

Christ-followers worship the true God revealed and proven through the Bible. Meanwhile, various world religions promote manmade gods, ancestor worship, and even the reverence of living things or nature (worshiping the creation rather than the Creator). And then there are popular false teachings such as New Age, Scientology, and Kabbalah. It’s a very long list.

Even strict atheists are fervent worshipers. True, they’re not Sunday morning churchgoers who proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But they — along with likely billions of other people — still bow down to their favorite idols. Some worship money, luxury, and pleasure while others bend the knee to intellect and higher learning. And others kneel at the altar of more negative gods such as alcohol, drugs, and illicit relationships. Meanwhile, the saying goes that there are no atheists on the battlefield. But there’s a different kind of conflict that rages within everyone: The God of the Bible versus the world’s gods and idols. It’s our hearts, minds, and souls that are the prizes of this heated, internal war.

Perhaps we don’t literally kneel before and worship graven images. But the fact is that that we secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) cherish our own personal gods. Consider the things that we worry about or sacrifice our time and money for. Which issues make us angry? What brings us the most joy? And here’s a revealing question: Whose attention and applause do we most crave?

If the answers to these questions don't involve the Lord, we’re likely worshiping an idol. And idols can be difficult to recognize through the smoke and confusion of spiritual warfare. Even seemingly good things can evolve into inferior god things if they're misused. That's why it’s particularly important for Christ-followers to remember that our Creator — the God of the Bible revealed through Jesus — refuses to share his glory with false idols, manmade religions, and philosophies. We therefore must consider the God (or gods) in our lives, and then choose the One to serve and live for.

This dilemma is nothing new. Let’s consider this scene from book of Joshua, named for the courageous Old Testament leader who brought the Israelites into the Promised Land:

“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,” said Joshua. “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.”

Joshua next made the familiar declaration of faith that true worshipers repeat and affirm to this day: 

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

May it also be so for you and me.