BY JACK WARD
PASTOR, TOMAHAWK MISSIONARY CHURCH
A man stepped up to the first tee to begin his round of golf. He teed up the ball, took a mighty swing and missed the ball but hit a rather large ant hill; ants, parts of ants, turf and dirt scattered everywhere. He swung again and missed the ball again, making thousands more ant widows and widowers. After a third swing and a Hiroshima effect on the now flattened ant hill, there were only two living ants – dazed and battered. One ant looked at the other and announced, “That guy’s gonna kill us if we don’t get on the ball!”
There are all sorts of ways to make decisions. A wife found a list on her husband’s desk one fall:
Things to do before winter sets in:
A. Install Franklin fireplace and chop firewood
B. Check weather stripping and clean the furnace
C. Clean and repair snow blower and replace broken storm window
or
A. Get the heck out of Wisconsin!
I like the story that comes out of the Vietnam era. A sergeant served his combat duty tour and was reassigned to a stateside induction center. His job was to advise the new recruits about government benefits, especially GI insurance. Soon he had a nearly 100% insurance sales record. His officers were amazed. Rather than ask him how he did it, an officer stood in the back of the room one day and listened to the sales pitch.
The sergeant explained the basics of GI insurance to the new recruits and then said, “If you HAVE GI insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay $35,000 to your beneficiaries. If you DON’T have GI insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay only a maximum of $3,000.
“Now,” he concluded, “which bunch do you think they’re going to send into battle first?”
Decisions in life are important. Joshua 24: 15: “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
As far as Joshua and those he led in his family, this was a “no-brainer.” He and his family would serve the Lord.
Joshua decided to put the Lord first in His life. He decided that as he went, his family would follow him also. Dad, what does this say about you and your family?
Men, are you leading your family to God? Many dads have told me over the years, “Well, my children will get religion on their own. I won’t make their religious decisions for them?” These same dads teach their sons to play baseball, fish, hunt and drive a car. They teach their sons who they should choose as friends and how to mow the yard, yet they won’t teach them one thing about God.
Dads, have you decided? Have you chosen to follow the Lord for you and your family?
Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and get sermon texts and more at tomahawkmbc.com.