Choose an Identity

Have you ever had one of those moments when something catches your eye... and you feel a little jolt as an unexpected thought enters your mind... and you realize it was God speaking?

That happened to me just the other day. I was leaving a comment somewhere and entering text into the comment box for the thousandth time, when something jumped out at me.

(See it? ^ Right there!)

...Choose An Identity.

Do you see those words up there in the blogger comment form picture? Choose an identity. Woah.

Immediately, I was reminded of this piece of scripture:

Choose you this day whom ye will serve.

Because, if you think about it - whoever you're serving is who you're identifying yourself with. When you completely align yourself with someone and decide to serve them, they become part of, if not all of, your identity.

If that sounds strange, it's not. We all serve somebody or something. Our selves, or our families, or our spouse, or our boss, or.......... God.

I knew that it the phrase I was thinking of, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve", was scripture, but like a lot of bits and pieces of scripture I have memorized... I didn't know where in the Bible it was. So I opened up my handy e-sword program on my laptop and searched for it in my electric King James Bible.

And found it.

It's from the book of Joshua. Chapter 24, verse 15. But the verse makes a lot more sense if you read the scripture around it and realize the context.

So here it is, unabridged - Joshua 24:14-18.

{Background: This is the last chapter of Joshua, a book chronicling the amazing story of the Hebrews' escape from the terrible slavery in Egypt, and all the things God had done for them in order to provide a way for them to leave. Joshua is speaking to the people. }
(14) Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

(15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
(16) And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
(17) For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

         (18) And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.

*chills running up and down my arms* Wow.

WHO do I serve? Myself? I need to be serving God. And I especially do NOT need to be serving Satan.

"Woah-ho-ho", you might sputter, "wait a minute! You seem like a nice Christian young lady. Serving Satan? I mean, come on, isn't that a little ... dramatic?"

No. It isn't.

Every time an unkind remark proceeds out of my mouth and causes a disagreement, an argument, or even World War III, every time I shirk my God-given duties as a daughter and a sister, every time I turn away from doing something I know is right, and every time I do something I know is wrong and the Bible says is a sin... I am serving the enemy.

I wholeheartedly desire to serve my Lord and God. Sometimes I don't put my full efforts into living for Him, and at best act halfheartedly. But He desires (and deserves) my whole heart. So I'm giving it to Him.

Join me. Let's band together and serve the Most High God with every fiber of our beings, and choose an identity in Him.