Pause...
Have you ever wished life came with a pause button? Or maybe more aptly, a rewind button? I know I would love to have either, although the more crucial might be the rewind button as I could NOT say many of the stupid things I say and NOT do many of the stupid things I do. Or maybe the pause button would be more important?
I think about Zach (from Saved By the Bell) and his use of the "timeout" to freeze action around and narrate/arrange situations to his benefit. Or maybe the Twix ads that let the person in them "have a moment" to figure out how to do something (like not lose a chance to date a good looking lady or not get decked by someone) is a better explanation for the non-Saved by the Bell generation! The thing is, you don't need a pause button to stop and think about what you're about to do...
Scripture is replete with the suggestion to think before we act, if only from a to avoid punishment and receive rewards perspective! But I think Joshua laid it out best in Joshua 24:
So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.” “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”
Joshua reminded the Israelites of what God had done for them (brought them our of slavery with MASSIVE acts of power and given them an incredible land for their own, then told them to choose right then and there, who they would really serve: God or something else. In reality, the choice isn't as clean cut as one moment in time (don't sing the song, please; I wasn't thinking about the 80's/90's as I wrote that line!). Instead it's much more of a constant effort in a Godward direction. Think about it, is God only about us choosing Him once or more about us choosing Him on a daily basis? Or maybe it would click better this way: would your friends/significant others be happy if you chose to go out with them once then decide it's enough?
So pause this morning, think about who you are choosing to follow, and make a decision right now to either choose or reject God because He'd rather have us make a choice than try and ignore it. And I think you know what I think you should choose...
I think about Zach (from Saved By the Bell) and his use of the "timeout" to freeze action around and narrate/arrange situations to his benefit. Or maybe the Twix ads that let the person in them "have a moment" to figure out how to do something (like not lose a chance to date a good looking lady or not get decked by someone) is a better explanation for the non-Saved by the Bell generation! The thing is, you don't need a pause button to stop and think about what you're about to do...
Scripture is replete with the suggestion to think before we act, if only from a to avoid punishment and receive rewards perspective! But I think Joshua laid it out best in Joshua 24:
So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.” “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”
Joshua reminded the Israelites of what God had done for them (brought them our of slavery with MASSIVE acts of power and given them an incredible land for their own, then told them to choose right then and there, who they would really serve: God or something else. In reality, the choice isn't as clean cut as one moment in time (don't sing the song, please; I wasn't thinking about the 80's/90's as I wrote that line!). Instead it's much more of a constant effort in a Godward direction. Think about it, is God only about us choosing Him once or more about us choosing Him on a daily basis? Or maybe it would click better this way: would your friends/significant others be happy if you chose to go out with them once then decide it's enough?
So pause this morning, think about who you are choosing to follow, and make a decision right now to either choose or reject God because He'd rather have us make a choice than try and ignore it. And I think you know what I think you should choose...
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