We will serve the Lord…

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. -Joshua 24:15

I made a project last week with this verse. And, many Christians I know have this verse on a plaque or picture hanging somewhere in their home. It’s a source of pride almost. We are responding to a call, like a warrior off to battle, Come what may, regardless of the circumstances, obstacles, or alternatives offered, “We will serve the Lord.”

But, do we really serve Him? We believe in Him. We may have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We may go to church on Sundays or occasionally. But, that’s not what the verse says. In most translations, it says “serve.” We will serve the Lord. And, sometimes, I think we have forgotten what that means.

James gives us a picture of this in James 2:14-19. He goes into a deep discussion of faith vs. works.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well. keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. “But someone will say, “You have faith. I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.

James 2:14-19

This is not to say that works will save you, or that we could somehow earn our salvation through good works or service. We can’t. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. But, as James reminds us, faith isn’t enough. Simpley believe that God exists is not enough. Satan and the demons believe that God exists. We have to worship and serve him as well.

Do your actions speak your faith? A lot of us have pictures, jewelry, t-shirts, etc. that speak our faith. But, do our actions speak our faith? Are we really serving God with our lives? I want my actions–the way that I treat people and live my life–to be a testament to my faith much more than the words I speak or the verses that I have written on the walls of our home. Those things are useless without my actions and service to go along with them.

And, here is the project I made, using the Pebbles Downtown collection, from A Walk Down memory Lane.

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