“Mother Teresa advised that God calls us ‘not to be successful, but faithful.’”

—Michael J. Ruszala, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Being faithful to God is easier said than done. All around us, there are many other “gods”—e.g., money, human praise, fleshly pleasures, and the need for control—demanding our attention and allegiance. It is no wonder that we all lose sight of living for and trusting in God at times.

In the time of Joshua, the people of Israel were facing similar temptations. Time and time again, Joshua led the people in faithfully trusting God (even when God’s instructions made little sense by human standards), and time and time again, God brought them blessing and victory as they were led into the land God had promised them.

At the end of Joshua’s life, he presents the people of Israel with a choice they must all face. Memorably, Joshua declares,

But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

All around them were false gods representing ways of life that were counter to trusting in the Lord. Though not perfect, Joshua provides a beautiful example of what it looks like to follow the Lord faithfully in the midst of such temptation.

Here are a few helpful principles we can learn from him in this chapter.

Faithfulness Starts with a Choice to Remember

Leading up to Joshua’s powerful words in verse 15, the Lord recounts through Joshua all that has been done in delivering the people of Israel up to this point (vv. 2–13). This is because the Lord understands how easy it is for us as humans to forget.

What might it look like for us to make a weekly discipline of remembering God’s faithfulness? Make it a point each week to read old journals, write stories of God’s deliverance, or tell friends and family about a way God has come through in the past.

Faithfulness Encourages Faithfulness

When we are around other faith-filled people, the effect becomes contagious. Joshua’s bold and unwavering faith encouraged the faith of the people. Three times in chapter 24, Joshua presents the choice before the Israelites, and all three times, they declare they will remain faithful to the Lord (vv. 16–18, 21, 24).

Who in our lives encourages our faith? Who are we surrounding ourselves with who can remind us to trust in and live for the Lord? Taking time to consider who is influencing us can have a big impact on our daily walk with the Lord.

Faithfulness Is About Mutual Steadiness

The word translated faithful throughout the Old Testament is the Hebrew word  'aman—where we get amen. ‘Aman carries with it the idea of steadiness, stability, and trustworthiness.

At the end of his life, Joshua’s faith is clearly steady and reliable, and that is because he has seen that God is steady and reliable. Joshua’s faith is built on a mutual stability learned in relationship with God. Joshua is able to be stable in his faithfulness to God because God has been faithful in his care for Joshua.

In a personal relationship with Christ, we too can experience how steady and trustworthy Jesus is, and we can allow our faith to grow from our own real-life, relational history with him. What would it look like to lean into relationship with Jesus today so he can reveal just how faithful he is to us?

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I pray we would be encouraged by Joshua’s faith as we turn away from the other gods calling to us and towards our faithful and loving Lord.

To Consider:

1. What other “gods” are most tempting for you to follow? How might you combat that temptation today through what we learn in Joshua’s story? (I.e., through memory of God’s faithfulness, faithful community, or relationship with Christ.)

2. Of the three areas that support faithfulness—memory of God’s faithfulness, faithful community, and relationship with Christ—which seems the most challenging to incorporate into your life? What practical steps can you take this week to make a discipline of that area of support?

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