I had a conversation today with a fascinating 100 year old lady, who remains active, vibrant and charming in her advanced age. We were talking about the state of the economy. She became a bit angry, denouncing politicians and business leaders alike, accusing them of greed. “Greed,” she said, was the reason behind all these troubles. She boiled it down to that one simple word. And after thinking about it for a second, I had to agree. Banks, businesses, and individuals made many poor choices, ultimately having to do with wanting more of something.
She quoted Joshua for me, especially the words I have underlined:
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15, NKJV.
I am as guilty of this as the many others at whom I have been pointing my finger. I have my wants, and I have made some poor choices about those in my life.
We can choose whom we serve, be it the almighty dollar, our addictions, or any such thing that consumes our thoughts and actions, against our own good judgment and self care, OR we can spend our energies in positive ways. I hesitate to use the word God, or the Lord, for fear of turning readers off. But “positive ways,” or a higher power, means the same thing. We can spend our days in ways that are somehow abusive or destructive, OR we can spend them in ways that are nurturing and enriching. We have choices. And we can expect the natural consequences of our behaviors.
That was my lesson for the day. When a 100 year old person talks to me, I listen.