After
the NCAA basketball tournament, which athlete do the kids on the basketball
court emulate? Was it the player who could not buy a basket if their life
depended upon it, or the player who seemed to effortlessly shoot three pointers
from beyond the arc consistently? Which piece of art work is held up before a
class by an art instructor as a model to be emulated? Was it the one that
displayed the proper use of the technique being taught, or the piece that
seemed to be at best a feeble or perhaps failed attempt at implementing the skill
that was the focus of the instruction? What company is held up as the industry
standard for which other companies are to aspire? The one that went bankrupt,
or the company that has been successfully growing and developing a quality
product or service? What person do we hold up as a model citizen? The individual who selfishly
uses people and lacks character traits that are deemed essential to positively
contribute to society, or a person who sacrifices themselves for others
regardless of the benefits or rewards they may receive from such actions? What
military leader would one feel comfortable in following or seeing engage in a
battle on their behalf? The leader who had repeatedly been defeated, or the one
who had successfully commanded in battles and was highly regarded by the forces
he led? Perhaps one may respond to these questions, “Isn’t it obvious?”
One may assume it should be obvious. However
life seems to indicate that at times the obvious answer is frequently ignored.
Even when the choice is clearly between the good and the evil, sometimes the
evil is chosen. Why is that? Perhaps it boils down to how we feel or what
circumstances seem to indicate the best situation at the moment. More often
than not, we make poor choices when we fail to carefully evaluate the options and
consequences that are really before us. Do we really understand the realities
that face us or are we quick to make an emotional and sometimes illogical
decision?
In the news there are numerous reports of
tragedies occurring when a person engages in texting while driving. Yet, rather
than mimic the person who pulls to the side of the road to receive or send a
text, frequently one sees individuals (maybe even us) texting with one hand
while holding onto the steering wheel with the other. Are they unaware of the
danger? It is unlikely that one is oblivious to the potential catastrophe
associated with texting while driving in light of public service announcements,
warnings issued by police, and reports of tragic accidents related to texting.
So why this poor choice? Perhaps one feels they are more able than others to
multitask, or maybe one simply chooses to mimic people around them that are
engaging in the risky endeavors. Somehow they have convinced themselves that
they are immune to tragic results. This is only one example of poor choices we
make when we ignore the obvious consequences for life decisions.
The Bible is filled with examples of
people who ignored the obvious and it led to tragic consequences. In the
history of the nation of Israel we read of the poor choices they made. God
warned the children of Israel to not follow the false gods of the people around
them (Joshua 24). Attached with that warning were consequences clearly spelled
out if they did. Supporting evidence given indicated that the true God (Jehovah) whom they followed had been
victorious over all the false gods of the surrounding nations. He had also
chosen them to be unique people that He would protect and bless if they
followed Him only. However the nation of Israel failed to listen to what they
were told and made an emotional and illogical decision to mimic the mediocre
gods of the people surrounding them. The results were catastrophic, just as God
had revealed to them. Rather than condemn their poor decision, we must consider
if we are prone to also mimic the mediocre gods surrounding us. Perhaps our
mediocre gods are not idols or images. Maybe they are in the form of
materialism, hedonism, egotism, rationalism, or a multitude of forces or
philosophies that we worship and place over the true God of the universe. Such
poor choices are just as catastrophic for us as they were for the nation of
Israel.
Rather than mimic the mediocre gods that
surround us, let us mimic the magnificent Creator and Sovereign of the
Universe. He alone is worthy of our worship. Joshua made a bold decision and
announced it to the nation, “Chose this day whom you will serve…as for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). He chose to mimic the magnificent God
who had been revealed to him and not the mediocre gods that surrounded him. A wise
and logical choice for anyone!
