That’s Not Really How We Do Things
By Carlos Santiago
I recently heard a pastor describe his family background: Three generations of pastors. Till-death-do-you-part marriages. Kids who all followed God’s call on their lives.
It was a beautiful story, tinged only by my creeping cynicism.
Must be nice to be you.
I couldn’t even tell you my grandfather’s name.
While the pastor grew up in a beautiful house on acres of land and played tag in the fields until the sun went down, I grew up in a crumbling apartment in Brooklyn dodging bullets and gang members.
In his family, faithfulness in marriage was the norm. In mine, it was adultery.
It’s one thing when the status quo is to seek God. How do you follow Him when you’re doing it alone?
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
When Joshua gave this famous ultimatum (Joshua 24:15), those surrounding Israel had thrown themselves into idolatry, human sacrifices, murder, deceit, and sexual sin. Unfortunately, many of these practices had found their way into the homes of God’s chosen people, too.
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
To follow God meant they’d no longer be able to lay low. Standing with God meant standing out.
Radical changes like this are hard to hide if you have a background and family culture like mine.
Even when we go out of our way to be nonjudgmental, accepting, and approachable, righteous living has a way of making others uncomfortable.
Our righteous acts are like candles in darkness.
Choose with me to serve Someone different. Who will your household serve?
In your home, what matters most? Read more.
The Good Stuff: “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 … or the gods … in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Action Points: What have you spiritually “inherited” from your past? How does that help and hinder you? What is the legacy you and your spouse intentionally choose?
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