The 20th-century prophet Aaron Tippin made those words famous.
If you’ve never heard the song, it’s okay—we can still be friends. But do yourself a favor and give it a listen today.
Now, why would I bring up a 90s country music song in the Weekly Roar when the whole point is to give you a boost for the week ahead rooted in God’s Word?
Quite simply, because this song exemplifies Joshua 24:15 in one of the best ways possible.
Here’s what that verse says:
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Now let’s lay that against the backdrop of the Apostle Aaron and see how it lines up (sorry, I’m having too much fun with this one).
Part of the song goes like this:
“You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string. Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name.”
That sounds a lot like what Joshua was laying out for the people of Israel. It’s also where we as men have to determine where we are headed today. Joshua knew the people of his time had plenty of options and opportunities to pursue whatever they wanted. The lures of the world were just as prevalent then as they are today.
He had seen God move in incredible ways, and at the same time he understood how hard people’s hearts could become regardless of what they had experienced or even claimed was important to them. The reality is that while words are powerful, they lose much of their impact when they aren’t backed up by action.
So if we are going to be our own man and not a puppet on a string, what does that look like?
For me, it means establishing standards that are determined by God’s Word and not worrying about what everyone else is doing around me. After all, what everyone else does is outside of my control. While not every situation we face is specifically addressed in Scripture, the principles always apply.
Take marriage as an example. The Bible doesn’t give us an exhaustive list of dos and don’ts. Instead, it reveals what matters most and teaches us how to fight for the hearts of those we love. One personal standard I’ve established is that I never allow myself to be alone in a room with a woman who isn’t my wife. Is that command found directly in Scripture? No. But you know what is?
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” — Job 31:1
Now, you can take that verse however you choose, but for me it establishes a standard, and I’m committed to following it. Puppets run around doing what others tell them to do. Biblically grounded men are obedient to the Holy Spirit and aren’t concerned if people think that’s weird.
I’ll take weird every day of the week. My marriage is worth the fight, and when you truly value something and desire to honor it the way God intends, you don’t compromise.
Now consider the Apostle Aaron’s next line:
“Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name.”
When I think about what Joshua was saying and compare it to that lyric, one word immediately comes to mind:
Legacy.
Do you know what has the potential to destroy a man’s legacy faster than almost anything else?
Compromise.
And compromise is almost always accompanied by rationalization. Let me remind you that whenever we start rationalizing, we’re often trying to make “rational lies” sound acceptable. That doesn’t hold water either.
I hope that as a man of God, I would lead myself and my family with conviction from the Holy Spirit and cut off compromise the moment it starts to surface. Here’s the thing: compromise almost always starts small and seems harmless. But the long-term impact can be devastating.
It’s usually not one giant decision that takes us off course. It’s the slow drift.
A simple example is telling yourself you’ll work out tomorrow. Then tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes next month. Before you know it, years have gone by and you haven’t exercised at all.
The point I think Joshua—and yes, the Apostle Aaron—are making is that we all have a choice to make every single day. As men, we have to determine what will be the primary driver behind those choices.
My prayer is that God’s Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit would be the primary guides for every decision we make and every standard that gets established.
Those standards may not always look exactly the same from one man to the next, but if they are rooted in God’s truth, that’s what ultimately matters.
So the question remains:
As for you and your house, who will you serve?
Now go listen to the song…and trust me there ain’t nothin’ wrong with the radio (if you get that reference we’re going to get along just fine)