Joshua ends his life by sharing an important piece of wisdom with the Israelites: he says, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua didn't say that only he would serve the Lord – he explicitly said that his entire house would serve Him. It's at this point that we are tempted to ask the question, "how could he make such a claim?" After all, his children have wills of their own, and shouldn't they be allowed to decide what to do with their faith? I have heard countless parents say the same thing to me: I don't want to force God onto my family because I'm afraid my kids will walk away from the Lord. Apparently that fear didn't exist for Joshua. He understood that, as the leader of his family, it was his responsibility to leave a legacy of faith for the coming generations. They would follow the Lord or not follow the Lord based on his lead. Interestingly enough, the commandment to "honor your parents" really was about honoring their faith legacy. Children are always tempted to be drawn away by what's new or fresh, but they need to be guided by their parents to hold fast to what they're taught. That's why it's so important for families to recount stories of God's faithfulness to their children and to remind their children that God will continue to be faithful in the future.
Are you leading your family in the area of their faith? Don't be content to let them choose whatever path they want. Direct them to the Lord, and they won't depart from the path.
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