Whom will I serve?

Elijah went before the people and said,"How long will you waiver between two opinions. If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow Him."

1 Kings 18:21

This morning my Charles Spurgeon devotion was based on this verse. It sounds like a sentence we would say today. Spurgeon went on to delve deeper into the obvious question of - do you believe that God put breath into your body? If He did, are you going to serve Him or serve something else?" Is that not the question? We get caught up in all sorts of theological arguments but this is where the rubber meets the road.

I work with youth in our church and over the years I have seen many, dare I say most, at some time, turn their back on the beliefs they once seemed to hold so dear as children and youth. Many will return after experimenting with the freedom adulthood appears to give them. They have been taught all the right Spiritual truths yet they have to test the waters of a life outside of their church family. We in the church try to combat this with, "make good friends in college." " Don't drink, don't do drugs, don't have sex." "Stay involved in a church."  That is all good advice but does one stay close to God by fear of their parents? Do they follow Christ because they know it will be good for them? Do they develop a strong bond with God that sparks a fire to last a lifetime of servanthood to the Master of the Universe by such advice? Some will - God's gift. But some (God knows) need to discover their creator on their own.

Elijah simplifies the age old question of the meaning of life itself, " Whom will you serve?" Just as Joshua stated to the Israelites in Joshua 24, "Choose this day whom you will serve." 

Spurgeon concludes this sermonette with 4 things God will not accept : Hypocrisy ("Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46), half-heartedness (Jesus replied," No one puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the Kingdom of the Lord." Luke 9:62), doublemindedness (James 1:6-8 - look it up ;), and lukewarmness ( Revelation 3-15, 16).

Maybe the question for our youth as well as all of us on this journey is - do I believe that God is worthy of my love, attention, service, devotion? Or am I going to choose the fleeting allure of comfort, stability, recreation, pleasure? I find this challenge for myself  - do I love God today for who he is or for what He promises to those who believe?