neous teaching in Christian circles on child-rearing that makes
assumptions about things that God never promised. Controlling our
children and their environment, exposing them to the truth of God’s
Word, and editing the “input” into their lives cannot guarantee that
they will become vibrant, obedient followers of Christ. The “life or
death” issue has to do with their choosing, making a decision about
what they have seen, heard, and been exposed to.
Our families need to know that God’s faithfulness—what He has
invested in us—demands a decision from us. His history in our lives
is not just the stuff of warm memories and cherished food for thought
meant merely to be fondly discussed and shared at family gatherings.
It ought to call us to commitment, to make the kind of life choices and
decisions that demonstrate the depths of our gratitude and deep
appreciation for God’s unfailing mercy, grace, and faithfulness in our
lives. We need to call our families to undivided commitment and loy-
alty to the God of the ages!
Our homes today need to be what we want homes in future gen-
erations to be. Perhaps that’s what Joshua had in mind when he said,
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This carries the dis-
tinct ring of holy resolve. Joshua is reaching back and grabbing onto
God’s faithfulness and is also pointing to the only thing that will give
value and meaning to the future: serving the Lord. It is for this reason
that he forces a decision.
Cultural Christianity has anesthetized us. We don’t see or appre-
ciate the need to make this kind of life-altering decision. The word
servesuggests a single focus. It points to who and what will capture our
passion and determine the direction of our lives. It’s as if Joshua was
saying that serving God is not just a part of what our family does, it is
who our family is.
This perspective carries with it a sense of accountability and the
necessity of the parental modeling of what we want our children to
build their lives on. Our families need to be the visible representation
of the power of God at work in our lives.
Parents set the tone and the direction of the home. As our chil-
dren watch us they must not see hypocrisy and inconsistency. Neither
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