Choose!

Choose you this whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua, son of Nun).

Boring exploring and character

I love boring exploring (looking for the unusual and out-of-the-ordinary by wandering without purpose or goal) while on vacation! Today, for example, my wife and I will walk through some local Bavarian towns, observing, talking, and looking forward to what adventures come our way. Honestly, we are mainly looking for CULINARY adventures (German chocolate, coffee, pretzels, etc.). Boring exploring is based on how we FEEL at the moment, and doesn't require a lot of logical thought. It can be a great choice within the bounds of a relaxing vacation; it's not so great if we actually want to get somewhere! When a destination is in mind, deliberate choices must be made, if desired results are to be achieved.

The same is true for becoming a person of character. Deliberate choices are required.

Nobody becomes more honest, more freedom-loving, more trust-worthy, more faithful, more decent, more devout, more respected, or more anything positive by following whims, emotions, and feelings. Character only develops through deliberate choices as to what values and ethics one will serve.

Choose whom you will serve

Thus it is that Joshua, son of Nun—who took the Israelites across the Jordan River into their Promised Land (see the Book of Joshua in the Jewish Scriptures)—calls the people to make a deliberate choice for or against the God who led them to this point. He tells them they must choose Whom they will serve (or worship)—Josh 24: 15, whether that be the God of their ancestors or the god(s) of the people they displaced. He tells them that their choice will require them to serve with loyalty and integrity (Joshua 24: 14). In other words, their actions must align with their stated choice. The connection of loyalty and integrity to service on behalf of one's values fascinates me. Without making deliberate choices, serving with integrity and loyalty will disconnect from what we claim to hold dear. This is an evidence-based claim. Examples include:

> Christians who claim the Name of Jesus, yet say His words are not relevant;

> Americans who claim justice, yet have no problem with legal residents being jailed and deported to foreign countries;

> Leaders claiming a culture of transparency, yet hiding behind secrecy;

>Citizens advocating for free, public education, yet sending their kids to private schools;

>People who claim to value free speech, but deny it to others;

>The list goes on and on....

Again, the absence of choosing whom (or what) we will serve guarantees a disconnect between external and internal values, and suddenly we are the Emperor in our "new clothes," oblivious to the naked truth others see so clearly.

How’s the connection?

How do we know when our actions no longer serve our values? Here are five indicators to check if your values and actions are still connected:

① Loyalty—what do you support and why ?The American Congress claims loyalty to their constituents. A government shutdown where scores of people will not receive paychecks for an indeterminate period of time indicates loyalty to partisan politics, not the American people.

② Integrity—do your private and public lives intersect? Social media is rife with examples! Claiming to respect and/or love people while likewise dehumanizing specific groups of people exhibits a distinct lack of integrity.

③ Money—how does what you buy reflect what you value? I work with a group of young adults who will often claim they don't make enough money while sporting high-dollar shoes or new sports cars.

④ Diet—is what you take in feeding your stated values? Pornography is a growing addiction. Claiming monogamy and loyalty to one's spouse, for instance, while ingesting videos of adulterers and cheaters is an obvious disconnect.

⑤ Power—do you give your power to those who reflect your values? Politically, we give power to those who represent us; personally, we give the power of our space; professionally, we give the power over our income. Are they handling that power in a way which corresponds to your values?

Life in the dash

These five indicators are not as black-and-white as I might like. Competing and hierarchical values, for instance, make this exercise a difficult process. The point, however, is intentionality and purpose. At the end of the dash, these deliberate choices will have determined the kind of person we have become and the values we have ascribed to. CHOOSE this day who (or what) you will serve.