Conquest and Judges – Serve Sombody

Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of those in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Who are you going to serve? It’s a simple question that Joshua asks the people of Israel as they settle into the Promised Land. The Lord rescued them from slavery, brought them through the desert, and conquered their enemies. God has provided them every step of the way, but Joshua knows that humans are fickle. Now that God is asking for their loyalty will they give it?

In 1979, Bob Dylan released a song entitled “Gotta Serve Somebody.” It won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, and the lyrics read in part: 

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame

You may be living in another country under another name

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Maybe you’re on the fence about following Jesus. Or maybe you consider yourself a Christian, but you’re just not all-in. Joshua’s words and Dylan’s song both remind us that we are tempted to divide our allegiance. As Christians, we are supposed to put our citizenship in the Kingdom of God before everything. We are children of The Spirit first-and-foremost. We are servants of Christ above all things. But, there are so many things that try to make a claim on our loyalty, and these are not all bad things. Nevertheless, nationality, ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, sports team, popularity group, occupation, hobbies, even friends and family must all fall in line behind our devotion to God. Let’s face it, most of us struggle to serve God with an undivided heart. We want to serve God, but we fall short. Only Jesus served God perfectly, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome our divided allegiance. Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart to make you a better servant of Christ and shore-up your loyalty to the Kingdom of God.