Who Do You Serve?

If I were to ask someone on the street today "who do you serve?" I might get some negative reactions.  Most people don't like the idea of being in 'service' to anyone.  The funny thing is, we are all serving someone...or something.

In Joshua's final days as the leader of Israel, he exhorts them to be courageous.  He implored them to keep the commandments.  He told them to love the Lord.  And he said to them "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.  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve....but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

I remember hearing in a religion class once, that if you are not choosing God, then you are automatically choosing the devil.  That always seemed a bit extreme.  But if we were to really dissect things and take a closer look, I think I can see how that would be.  In Moroni chapter 7 verse 12 we read:  "Wherefore, all things which are ^agood cometh of God; and that which is ^bevil cometh of the devil." 

Just because something is of God or good doesn't mean that it has to be religious.  A beautiful symphony is 'good.'  A VanGogh painting is 'good.'  Even football is 'good.'  It is when we choose to serve these things in an unrighteous manner that we begin to cross the line and perhaps serve someone other than God.  For example, over-extending personal finances in order to purchase an original VanGogh, when it is much out of our budget.  Or going to a football game on a Sunday afternoon instead of honoring the Sabbath day and keeping it holy.

Serving doesn't have to mean that we are dressed in a maid outfit and carrying a silver tray for someone all the time.  Serving the Lord simply means that you are striving to be obedient to Him.  Serving Him can mean showing kindness to those around you.  Serving Him can mean attending your church meetings.  Serving Him can mean studying your scriptures each day.  There are many ways to serve the Lord.

I made the choice to serve Him when I was eight years old and baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I work at that choice each day, and the older I get, the more I realize the significance of that choice and thrill with the knowledge of the blessings that are available to me if I continue to strive to serve.