Choose Whom You Will Serve
Life is filled with decisions, big and small. Some choices—like what to eat or wear—are minor. Others, like choosing a career or a life partner, shape our future. But the most important decision we will ever make is whether we will follow the Lord. Both the Old and New Testaments show us that we must actively choose to follow God. No one drifts into faith by accident. These are some key passages that highlight this call to decision and look at what it means for us in modern life.
Moses: “Now choose life”
Throughout his leadership, Moses repeatedly emphasized the need for a conscious decision to obey God and walk in His ways. Moses, near the end of his life, reminded the people that they must choose between life and death, blessing and curse.
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20
This choice was not short-term but entering into a permanent relationship to serve the Lord.
Joshua: “Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve”
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, 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
After leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua gathered the people and presented them with a challenge: they must make a choice. They cannot serve both the gods of the land and the Lord. Joshua makes it clear where he stands—his decision is to serve the Lord with his household.
Imagine standing at a fork in the road. Each path leads in a different direction, and you must choose which one to take. You cannot walk both paths. Life with God requires a deliberate decision to follow Him. Similarly, we must decide whether we will follow God, culture, wealth, or the idols of our hearts.
We face this choice today. Will we pursue worldly success and comfort at the expense of our faith? Or will we serve God, even when it is unpopular or inconvenient? For instance, many young people today wrestle with whether they will keep their faith when entering college or the workplace, where they encounter peer pressure to compromise their beliefs. Neutrality is not an option.
Elijah: “How Long Will You Waver Between Two Opinions?”
“Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.” 1 Kings 18:21
The prophet Elijah confronted the Israelites, who were trying to worship both the Lord and Baal. Elijah challenged them to stop wavering and make a decision: either follow the Lord wholeheartedly or serve Baal.
It’s like trying to drive a car with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. You will never move forward until you choose one direction. Many people today try to live with one foot in the world and the other in faith, but God calls us to complete commitment.
Think about someone who claims to follow Jesus but lives according to the values of social media influencers or culture. They go to church on Sunday sometimes but spend the rest of the week chasing approval, wealth, or fame. Elijah’s challenge is relevant: Are we fully committed to following Christ, or are we divided in our hearts?
Jesus: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves”
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’” Luke 9:23-24
Jesus teaches that following Him is a daily decision. It requires self-denial and carrying our cross every day. This means surrendering our desires and ambitions to God and trusting Him, even when it is difficult. He really does want the best for each of us, he wants us to know real joy. There is no halfway commitment in discipleship; we are either following Christ or living for ourselves.
Imagine a person trying to run a marathon while carrying a backpack full of rocks. They won’t get very far unless they make the decision to drop the unnecessary weight. Similarly, following Jesus means letting go of whatever holds us back - whether it’s selfish ambitions, fear, or sinful habits.
We see this challenge clearly today. Success, comfort, and self-centered living are often promoted as life’s goals. But Jesus asks, “Are you willing to lay down your life for Me?” The cost of discipleship might involve giving up a high-paying job for ministry or standing up for your faith when it is costly. Just as it takes daily effort to exercise or eat healthily, following Jesus is a decision we must renew every day.
Just as Moses told the Israelites to choose life, Jesus makes a similar appeal:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus presents us with a stark choice: life or death, God’s way or the way of the world. Jesus leaves no room for a middle path.
Paul: “I Have decided to follow Jesus”
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:7-8
Paul reflects on his personal decision to follow Jesus, even though it cost him everything. He gave up his status, reputation, and comfort because he understood that knowing Christ is worth more than anything else.
Imagine someone who spends their whole life accumulating treasure, only to find out in the end that it was worthless. Paul understood that everything the world offers is temporary, but what we gain in Christ is eternal.
Think of missionaries who leave behind family, comfort, and financial security to spread the Gospel in difficult places. They have decided, like Paul, that knowing and following Christ is worth more than anything the world can offer. For us, following Jesus may not require us to leave our country, but it might mean choosing to live differently from those around us - valuing God’s kingdom over material success.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans he warns Gentile Christians about the necessity of remaining faithful to Jesus, using the metaphor of an olive tree. He reminds them that they have been grafted into the family of God, the Jewish people, by grace, but if they become arrogant or unfaithful, they risk being cut off, just as unfaithful Israelites were removed.
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” Romans 11:17-22
Gentile believers (the “wild olive branches”) are grafted into the olive tree, representing God’s people. This inclusion is not because of merit, but solely because of faith in Jesus Christ. Paul warns Gentiles not to become proud or complacent - just because they were included by grace does not mean they are immune from falling away. Just as some Jews were removed due to unbelief, so Gentiles must remain faithful or risk being cut off from God’s family.
Paul is emphasising that faith must continue. Salvation isn’t just about entering the faith but also about remaining loyal to Christ throughout our lives.
The Call to Choose
Throughout the Bible, God calls His people to make a decision:
Moses: “Now choose life, so that . . . you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” Deuteronomy 30:18
Joshua: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15
Elijah: “How long will you waver between two opinions?” 1 Kings 18:21
Jesus: “Take up your cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Paul: “I consider everything a loss compared to knowing Christ.” Philippians 3:8
Each of us must make this same decision. Will we follow the Lord wholeheartedly, or will we continue to waver? Neutrality is not an option—trying to serve both God and the world will only leave us frustrated and empty.
Many people today start their Christian journey with enthusiasm but later become complacent or drift away, thinking that their initial faith is enough. Paul reminds us that faith isn’t a one-time decision but a lifelong commitment. Just like we need to stay connected to a source of water to survive, believers need to stay connected to Christ through prayer, Scripture, and community.
A pilot preparing for takeoff cannot remain on the runway forever. At some point, they must commit to taking off or abandon the journey. In the same way, following Jesus requires a clear, deliberate decision.
Today, God places before us the same choice He gave the Israelites and Jesus’ disciples: Will you follow Him? This isn’t just a one-time decision but a daily choice to trust and obey Him. Like Joshua, can we say,
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”?
