Obeying Christ in a disobedient world

Are  you living your life fully for Christ or are you living partially for this world? Do you do what you want to do or what Christ commands you to do? How each of us answers these questions sheds light on just how obedient to Christ we are. As with most other things in life we will find ourselves having the intent to obey our Father but not the strength and courage to be obedient. We tend to replace obedience with sacrifice though we know 1 Samuel 15:22 says ” But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of the rams.”

When it is time to make sacrifices I know I have disobeyed the will of God. In the Old Testament we know Israel was required to perform sacrificial ceremonies yearly to cleanse the country and her people. These ceremonies were, in a sense, ways of asking for forgiveness after being disobedient to the God of Abraham. Our Heavenly Father gave us the means to be forgiven because He knew we would prefer to do things our way and live in continual disobedience to His will. What we tend to ignore is the fact that we pay a hefty price for our incessant refusal to do things His way in His timing. Examples include:  Adam and Eve being removed from the Garden of Eden, Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt after looking back toward Sodom and Gomorrah in willful disobedience to the Lord, King Saul ultimately being overcome by his enemies, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish after an attempt to run away from Ninevah (where God told him to preach). This is just a small list of the many people who were disobedient and the consequences they paid. As a reminder, paying consequences does not indicate the Lord’s refusal to forgive you. As a parent you forgive your child for choosing to ignore your rules while at the same time imposing consequences on their behavior.

As children of God it is our responsibility to be obedient to His holy will. This is not always an easy thing to do but it is necessary. We live in a very disobedient world where we watch friends, family, and complete strangers blatantly live their lives any way they please. Governments are pushing for equal marriage rights for homosexuals, advocating abortion, and taking Jesus out of everyday life. God wants us to fight back by continuing to obey His commands. We can bring others to Him when living according to His holy will and acknowledging His everlasting presence. Be the obedient servant in this disobedient world and reap the rewards.

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