You Want Me to Do What?!
Rather listen to this blog? Listen to “You Want Me to Do What?!”
I am a rule follower. In fact - I LOVE rules. My mind works in sequences, patterns, cause and effect, and…rules make sense to me. You follow the rules, everything goes well. You do this, you get that.
I have lived my Christian walk in the same way. The Bible says to do something, I do it, and therefore it should follow that I receive what I desire. I’ve been struggling with this for a long time, though, because though I have been doing everything “right” according to the Bible, I have not been getting what I want. Worse, it seems that too often I see instances of people NOT following Biblical rules and getting everything I want! How, then, can someone like me who operates by following rules (for example, an immutable law of nature: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction), continue to follow the rules that don’t have a logical outcome while being constantly shown that NOT following God will get you what you want?
The story of Jonah is one I can relate to. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh (a non-Jewish/Gentile) town, and prophecy to them that if they didn’t turn from their wicked ways, God would destroy them. Jonah didn’t want to go. He didn’t think the Gentiles should get a chance to repent, and he feared if he prophesied to them, they would do just that. So, he ran away (which makes me laugh because what was he thinking? How, exactly, did he plan to hide from the all-knowing, all-seeing, God of the universe?). Well, God found him (never lost him, really), and put Jonah on a time-out in a huge fish for three days and nights until Jonah, after praying for deliverance the whole time, finally agreed to go to Nineveh and the fish vomited him out. Jonah went to Nineveh and prophesied to them. They repented, and Jonah threw a tantrum. Jonah was upset that these people, who had done evil things, got a pass from God, and he made his anger known.
I have been Jonah many times and in many ways. I would have thrown a tantrum, too. But recently, God revealed to me that the story of Jonah isn’t about the Ninevites - it’s about Jonah and his unwillingness to be obedient. God could have sent anyone to Nineveh - especially when Jonah ran away - but He didn’t. He stuck with Jonah until he went.
Obedience can be hard at all stages: Children are supposed to obey adults - that can be hard when you want to play, but they tell you to pick up your toys. Teenagers struggle with obedience - they’re caught in the middle of still being kids and becoming adults. Adults struggle with obedience, especially when those in authority over us are not worthy of that authority.
Christians, however, should never struggle with obedience to God because He is worthy of His authority over us because He set an example. There isn’t a single story of obedience in the Bible where things didn’t work out exactly as God planned and ultimately for the good of His people.
Obedience to God comes with a reward. “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess,” (Deuteronomy 5:33).
Disobedience to God comes with consequences, and we need to be purposeful every day in choosing to be obedient to God. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known,” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).
The Bible is our general map of what to obey, but there is so much more. The Bible is for everyone, but God also speaks to us individually, as he did with Jonah. Unless we are actively LISTENING for the direction of God, we’ll miss it and THINK we’re acting in obedience when we may not be. Deuteronomy 26:17 says, “You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.”
When we choose to follow Jesus, we are committing to walk in obedience to Him which requires us to LISTEN. How God speaks to each of us is different. How can you tell if God is speaking to you? Start with the general guidelines - the Bible. If you aren’t spending daily time in the Word, consuming your Daily Bread, then chances are you won’t hear God when He speaks to you.
I have come to realize I was looking at living my Christian walk in entirely the wrong way. I thought if I followed the rules, I would get what I want. The problem is, that’s how the world works. It is not how God works. Our example of Godly obedience is Jesus, and His obedience led Him straight to the cross! That probably doesn’t sound like much of a reward to you…it doesn’t sound like much of a reward to me either.
However, the reward for Jesus’ obedience was my salvation - and yours. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,” (Hebrews 5:8-9).
There isn’t a single story of obedience in the Bible where things didn’t work out exactly as God planned, and ultimately, for the good of His people…including Jesus Himself.
Let me encourage you to be obedient to God. If He calls you to do something, no matter how hard it may be for you, DO IT! He chose you for a reason, but though He chose you, He doesn’t need you. God has a plan, He’s always had a plan, and every step of the way, that plan is happening. Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord works out everything to its proper end - even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
In faith, we believe God is in control and His plan for us is perfect. Now, let us walk in obedience with the authority and confidence of a child of God secure in the knowledge that ‘“[M]y thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord,” (Isaiah 55:8).
AMEN
