Day 304
Joshua 24:31
"And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that He had done for Israel"
What caused the Israelites to serve God as long as the elders who lived after Joshua were alive? More is required to have our children serve God after we pass on than what is needed to have them serve God while we are alive.
Our authority and our ability to keep order can cause our children and others we have influence over to serve God while we are alive. After we are gone, their lifestyles will be determined by their own personal relationships with God. Many denominations began with a mighty move of the Spirit of God. Generations later, however, the conduct of the members of the churches that make up those denominations bears no resemblance to the lifestyle of the founder or the one who inspired the creation of the organization.
Who motivates us most to desire an intimate relationship with God today? Is it those who teach or preach well, or those whose lives exemplify the character of Christ the most? There are some people we get information and instruction from only. Others, in addition to dispensing information, inspire us to want to do what they do. Jesus told His disciples to follow the instructions of the Scribes and Pharisees but not to emulate their lifestyles. As we pass the baton on in this Christian race, it will not be our ability to rule or keep order that will cause those who follow us to stay with God. The glory of God that is evident in our lives and the fruit of the spirit we display because of our vibrant relationship with God will entice them to continue in His ways. Our conduct that shows we are doers of the Word and not hearers only, evidence that our faith is being productive and the joy we demonstrate despite the challenges we face will motivate others to want what we have. If we do not have it, we cannot convince anyone else to get it. If they do not get it for themselves, they will not keep the way of the Lord after we are gone.
What will make us pursue an intimate relationship with God? What do we need to motivate us to be steadfast, faithful and always abounding in the work of the Lord? What does it take for us to keep going, smiling and praising God, no matter what we face? Our appreciation to our Father for sending His Son to die for us and to Jesus Christ for what He suffered to enable us to win should be our first motivation. Secondly, our natural or our spiritual children and others we have influence over may be motivated or discouraged by our conduct.
Let us press on, developing our relationships with God, going from glory to glory, becoming more and more like Jesus every day. Those who look at us should not only hear about Jesus, but they should see Him living in us. If we lose our ability to stimulate thirst in others for a genuine relationship with God, we are like salt that has lost it saltiness, which is therefore good for nothing. As the salt of the earth, we must make others thirsty for what we have, so we do not have to make them follow God. They should want to follow God themselves.
With God's help my children and those who look up to me will be motivated to have their own personal relationships with God that will make them strong and productive. As I am an example to them, they will be examples to those who follow them.