There are two important facts to know about serving God. The first is that serving God is the primary duty for every human. The second thing to know is that serving God is a choice. Joshua is best remembered for saying, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15). But before saying this, he challenged the people of Israel, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” In other words, serving God begins with a choice: which god will you serve? In that day there were many options including the idols that other nations served—not that there are actually many gods, but there are many false gods that people might choose. Nowadays the alternatives are not usually idols which are statues of gods, but the idols today are immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). And Jesus narrowed the options down to two: we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).
Joshua’s choice was to serve the LORD (we often capitalize LORD in English because it represents God’s personal name YHWH—or Yahweh.) He is the true God. He alone is to be served.
After Joshua challenged the people of Israel, they responded: “Far be it from us to forsake the LORDto serve other gods” (24:16). They made the right choice! Like Israel, we should all be sure that the God we serve is Yahweh. As Joshua told Israel to choose, so we also must choose whom we will serve!
Serving God includes doing his will, worshipping him, obeying him, and trusting him.
Jesus was a second Joshua (The name “Jesus” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means God is salvation). Like Joshua, Jesus chose to serve God. We see this in the Garden of Gethsemane when he agonized over the prospect of his coming execution, yet accepted it as the will of his Father: “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36). Jesus chose to obey his Father.
Jesus taught his disciples to share this personal relationship with his Father, teaching them (and us) to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9). In the Lord’s Prayer, as we ask for God’s will to be done on earth, we are really committing ourselves to doing his will. That is the beginning of how we serve the LORD.
Worshipping God includes praising him for his holy character and his awesome power, and thanking him for his blessings and mercy to us.
In the Old Testament, worship centered on the tabernacle or the temple in Jerusalem. Priests served the LORD by presenting offerings and sacrifices. In the New Testament, the temple building was replaced by the physical body of each believer as God’s temple, and every believer has become a priest serving God. The Bible teaches the priesthood of all believers—we all serve God as priests (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Peter 2:5). And the sacrifice we offer is ourselves: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship.” (Romans 12:1) Worshiping God, however, is not limited to Jews or Christians, it is the duty for everyone everywhere: “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORDwith gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! (Psalm 100:1-3a) Serving the LORD involves making glad noises and singing praises to God because he is our God.
Serving God also involves obedience. To those who dislike obeying others, obedience to God may sound unappealing, but for God’s people the word obedience does “not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege” (The NET Bible footnote).
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon concluded that everything in life is vanity of vanities, everything but one thing: “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of every human being” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
In the New Testament, Christians are expected to obey the law of Christ. This is not different than the Old Testament laws, but it is based on love. Love for one’s neighbor fulfils the law (Romans 13:8-10). God has prepared a lifetime of good deeds for us to complete on his behalf (Ephesians 2:10). For Christians, the ultimate expression of serving God is serving others in his name.
Finally, serving God is based on trusting him; that is turning from trusting ourselves and our own efforts to casting our lives and our concerns, both now and in the future, on God. We trust God because of his wonderful promises to care for us, to save us, and to transform us into his likeness. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” But “Those who trust in themselves are fools” (Proverbs 3:5-6; 28:26).
Trusting God is at the heart of praying to him. And prayer is at the heart of trusting him (Philippians 4:6-7). The two reflect each other.
Thus, doing God’s will, worshipping, obeying, and trusting are the duty of every person from every nation. Peter expressed it well, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).
So, as free people, choose you this day, whom will you serve.
Greg Giles is a published author, who, along with his wife Jean, has embraced the call to serve and teach around the globe. Their life together has included missionary work in Liberia, Bangladesh, teaching in China, and raising a family in Bemidji, Minnesota. Between global travels and local commitments, including serving as superintendent of Corn Bible Academy and their current part-time roles at Corn Heritage Village, the Gileses have found “home” in many places; yet, they now happily reside in retirement in Cordell. Please visit his website at reflections-on-wisdom.com.