But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15 

 

Approaching the end of his life, Joshua calls the nation's leaders together and says: 'You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done...' (Joshua 23:3). Then he throws down the gauntlet; '...choose...whom you will serve...' (Joshua 24:15). What did they do? 'Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua...' (Joshua 24:31). So far, so good! But take a closer look. They served Him partly, only when it was to their advantage. The one military action remaining to be taken after Joshua's death was to clean out the last pockets of pagan worship. But Israel did not 'drive out the inhabitants...' (Judges 1:27). While Joshua had been fully committed to God, the elders were only partly committed. And the result? Their sons and daughters began to intermarry with their neighbors and adopt their lifestyle. Listen: '...another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord...they provoked the Lord to anger...They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way' (Judges 2:10-12; 19). What had shaped their spiritual values? The compromise of their parents! This is called the generational slide. It helps us to understand how our parents impacted us and predicts how our commitments, or the lack of them, will shape our children. Parent, you get the first crack at it. Give your children deep spiritual roots as early as possible. That way, if they rebel later, they'll still have memories and values to return to. Don't just tell them about God, model a godly lifestyle before them every day!