Are You For Us?

Heard someone recently talking about Joshua’s encounter with the commander of the Lord’s army in Joshua 5. I remembered the story from childhood but didn’t remember this simple (and kinda-confusing) conversation:

Joshua: “Are you for us or our adversaries?”

The Commander: “No.”

Joshua, certainly humbled by the glory of this being (probably Jesus in some sort of flesh-y form), asks whether He fights for Israel or for the opposition. It seems like a reasonable question to me. Which team are you on? (Fingers crossed that you’re on mine.)

But God responds with an answer that speaks so clearly not just to Joshua but to me. He says, “No.” In other words, “I’m not under anyone’s command. I’m the commander.”

The point, as I heard it so perfectly articulated, is this: “God did not come to be a part of our story. He asks us if we want a part in His.”

Israel fought for and under God at Jericho. Not the other way around. Similarly, I live for God today. I do His will. I don’t try to convince God to support or bless mine.

My life is NOT about me. In fact, it’s not so much my life. When I come to Christ, I die to self. I stop making decisions based on me. I stop making plans for me. And I start stepping into God’s story, playing the role He assigned me, not the one I picked.