Choose Today Whom You Will Serve
"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15
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Introduction
There is a silent crisis in Christian homes today. It is not a crisis of resources, or even of time. It is a crisis of spiritual leadership. Many fathers know how to pray, know the Bible, attend church — but at home, in the day-to-day, they have stepped back from the place God entrusted to them. The home has become a place where people eat, sleep, and watch television, but rarely a place where God is honored in a deliberate and consistent way.
Joshua speaks to us from a decisive moment. He is nearing the end of his life, he has gathered the people of Israel at Shechem, and he lays before them a challenge that still echoes today. He does not ask what they feel, or what they would like to do. He calls them to a concrete choice: whom will they serve? And before waiting for their answer, he declares his own: as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. This is the voice of a spiritual leader. This is the series that begins today — on spiritual leadership in the home.
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1. Spiritual Leadership Begins with a Personal Decision
Joshua did not say: "If my family agrees…" or "If circumstances allow…" He said: "As for me." Before he speaks about his household, he speaks about himself. This is the foundational principle: you cannot spiritually lead a family without first having made your own surrender to the Lord.
Many men wait for their children to grow up, for their wives to take the initiative, or for the pastor to do what is actually their own responsibility. But spiritual leadership is not delegated — it is embraced. Paul writes to the Ephesians that the husband is the head of the family as Christ is the head of the Church (Eph. 5:23). Not an authoritarian headship, but a sacrificial service. Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. This is the model.
Practical application: This week, set aside ten minutes each day to be alone before God. Not to ask for anything — simply to surrender. A father who does not know how to kneel in private will rarely know how to lead his family in prayer.
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2. Spiritual Leadership Requires Public Courage
Joshua makes his declaration before all of Israel. It is not a private conviction kept close to the heart — it is a public confession of to whom he belongs and whom he serves. There is something powerful when a father openly declares, both inside and outside the home, that his family belongs to the Lord.
We live in a culture that has privatized faith. Believing is permitted, as long as it stays quiet. But the spiritual leader of the home cannot be ashamed to say at the dinner table: "Let's give thanks." He cannot hesitate to tell his children: "In our house, Sunday is set apart for church." He cannot allow friends, television programs, or the values of the world to set the spiritual tone of his family.
Joshua knew that the people were surrounded by pagan influences (v. 14). The same is true today. Our children are surrounded by voices that say God does not matter, that morality is relative, that everyone can live however they choose. The spiritual leader's response is not to look the other way — it is to speak up, with greater love and greater clarity.
Practical application: This week, share a verse or a word of encouragement with your family. It does not need to be a sermon. It could be at breakfast — just a simple phrase. Begin to be the spiritual voice that God is calling you to be in your home.
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3. Spiritual Leadership Is a Legacy, Not a Moment
"Me and my household" — Joshua is not thinking only about the present. He is thinking about generations. A man who serves God today is sowing faith into children and grandchildren not yet born. Psalm 78:4 tells us to "tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD." Spiritual leadership in the home is, above all, a ministry of passing on the faith.
Children do not automatically inherit their parents' faith. But they do inherit the habits, priorities, and values they see lived out at home. A father who prays, who forgives, who reads the Word, who speaks of God as a natural part of life — that father is building a foundation that no storm will easily bring down (Matt. 7:24–25).
Practical application: Ask yourself honestly: If my children simply copied my spiritual life exactly, would they be alright? This question is not meant to condemn — it is meant to awaken.
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Conclusion
Joshua challenged Israel to choose. Today, God is challenging you. Spiritual leadership in the home does not require perfection — it requires a decision. Decide today that in your home, God will have first place. Decide that your children will see a father who kneels, who loves, who perseveres. This series will continue, but this first message asks one simple thing of you: take your stand. Like Joshua, declare — "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
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Closing Prayer
Lord, thank You for calling us to lead our families with love and faithfulness. Give every father and every mother here the courage of Joshua — to declare publicly to whom they belong, and to live out that declaration at home, day after day. May our homes be a reflection of Your grace, for the glory of Your name. Amen.
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