The Cost of Disobedience

One of the things we as Christians may not be totally clear about is the importance of obedience.  What does this mean exactly?  In the last blog, I talked about bitterness and that when we are bitter, we are actually in agreement with Satan and we need to forgive and get out fast.   Disobedience is very similar, and in fact, may even be worse.  Take a look at the following Scripture when Samuel is rebuking King Saul after he disobeyed a direct command of the Lord.

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Saul sorely lost his crown after his disobedience to God.  It's interesting that, like Saul, we can be doing many good things for the Lord, but not that one thing He has specifically asked us to do.  In reality, if we continue to disobey, then we are serving self and not God.  This gives the devil a perfect opportunity to have a heyday with us.  Now we are participating in witchcraft (where we wield control instead of God because it's all or nothing), iniquity (goes against all the good and right things that God stands for), and idolatry (we are now worshipping something or someone else - we have gone our own way).  And so disobedience to God is a very serious thing, and sometimes results in fatality.

If we are honest, we have to admit that sometimes we don't really want to do what God is asking of us, and we feel like running away.  I ran from God for years and years during my teen years and nearly lost my life more than once.  A serious car accident changed my life forever, and all because I went my own way.

I can think of two specific situations in my own life where God asked me to do something I didn't really want to do.  The first time, it was after I completed a year in Bible school and went back to my home town for a year, I knew it was time to move on. I had no idea where to go.  One day the Lord clearly said to me, "Winnipeg."  Really?  What about beautiful BC or Toronto?  Winnipeg was not my first choice of places to live mainly because of the long winters, but I knew in my heart this is where God wanted me.  Half of my family lived there, I got a good job, a place to stay and remained there for most of my life.  This is where I met my beloved husband.  This is where I received almost all of my education and I got very good paying government jobs.  I discovered a city rich in the arts and culture and history.  It is close to everything, only an hour from cottage country and the most beautiful lakes, beaches and forestry in the world.  Winnipeg was very good to me and I grew to love the people.  God knew it wouldn't be easy, but I ended up flourishing there. I am so glad I listened and obeyed Him that time.

The second time was just after 911.  The Lord specifically spoke to me to put aside my lifelong dreams of traveling, and instead I was to write my books.  Since then I have written 42 books and 3 complete writing manuals, plus family history and about 200 blogs.  Was it easy sitting at home on a beautiful sunny day writing and sometimes struggling to put my thoughts together in a coherent fashion? No. Many times I wanted to give up. Writing is not easy and any honest professional writer will tell you that.  It takes training and skill and a great deal of discipline.  

But the Lord was very clear when He commissioned me to write the books.  I was to share the sound doctrine He had taught me for the past several years where I got grounded in the Word (mostly during those long harsh Manitoba winters).  He said that a time was coming where many Biblical truths would be lost amidst false teachings, cults and worldly philosophies and people would need sound doctrine.  Wouldn't you agree that today we are more in need of sound doctrine than ever before?  And so I write as much and as often as I can while the doors remain open.  

God knows all our times and seasons, our yesterdays, todays and tomorrow's.  He has a perfect plan for each of us.  If we ignore what He is asking us to do, and instead say “no” and go our own way, our life may continue on, but with none of the richness and blessings He had for us all along.  It just delays things, and sometimes we have to wait even longer for our hoped for dreams to transpire, or perhaps they will not come to us at all.

I think we all agree that the time is short.  We are to wisely redeem the time and make it count. We need to get busy doing the thing or things the Lord has asked us to do.  Will it cost us?  It surely will.  Our flesh will argue, and we will likely want to remain in a comfort zone.  But will it be worth it?  Absolutely, when one day, we hear these words:

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Beware of Bitterness

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Eph 4:27  Neither give place to the devil.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

It is inevitable in this life that someone is going to hurt us. It may be a sibling, a friend, a parent, a child, spouse, relative, boss, fellow employee, or a complete stranger.  Sometimes the hurt is so great or may be a repeated hurt that we feel like running away and crawling into a cave where no one can get to us again.  Or we may do just the opposite.  We may turn away from God and return to living an ungodly life just to spite Him, and the people who may have hurt us.

Sometimes it helps to talk to the person or people who hurt us. Many times they are not even aware of our side of the story.  Then there are other times we can do nothing about it except forgive and let it go.

I can think back to my childhood and early teen life.  I had many hurts then, and I felt inferior to others and that I wasn't much of a success at anything.  Others always seemed to be and do better than me, so I finally gave up trying to be good.  At that time I turned to drinking and drugs.  I got myself into such a mess, only God could pull me out of it.  I remember how He began to pursue me and then how He began to heal me by explaining the motives of my heart.  He also showed me that the ones I had blamed for causing me such pain had no intention of hurting me, they had just been battling with their own struggles in life.  What a difference when we get our eyes off ourselves, and truly see the plight of others as they stumble along with their own heavy burdens!

Most of all, God showed me who I am and how He created me to be.  He gave me a new purpose and He pulled me out of the pit and made me feel that I was loved and worth a great deal to Him.  This changed my life.  I learned about Satan and that he is the one who creates division, steals our peace, hope and joy, and paints a negative picture of ourselves and others.  God builds us up, while Satan tears us down.  I learned about the tongue and what I say about others, if not spoken in love, is buying into the lies of Satan who hopes we will hate one another rather than love one another.  

The love of God is the most powerful force in existence.  It cost Jesus His life so that we could live.  It saves us from the tyranny of self and selfishness, and it brings us into the presence of God, where we are transformed from misery to joy.  It is the place of sweet and meaningful fellowship with Him and other believers.  It heals us fully and completely and it is based on truth.  It is what makes us different from all other religions.  It causes us to reach above and beyond ourselves in our willing service to God and others.  It melts the most hardened of hearts.  It can stop all fights and wars.  It has nothing to do with our own goodness, it is the very nature of God which He gives us when we make Him Lord of our life.

Love covers a multitude of sins: 1Pe 4:8  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ESV

And God operates in love.  1Jn 2:5  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ESV

There is great joy when we get along with one another. 

If we have hatred and bitterness, we are in the camp and company of Satan (see Eph. 4:26-27 above).  Things will not go well until we forgive.  Even if we don't feel like it, we need to take a step and be willing to forgive.  God will help us.

If you are struggling today with bitterness and deep pain from being hurt and rejected, take the first step. Pray and ask God for healing and be willing to forgive.  Perhaps He will have you go beyond that and offer a gift to the one who hurt you.  In any case, He will take care of you, lift your heavy burden, and you will be blessed beyond measure.