Choosing Obedience Over Convenience
“You want me to do what?”
I have to imagine that was Abraham’s gut response when he heard God’s command to take Isaac and sacrifice him. He had prayed for decades for the child. Now God asks him to bind him to an altar and kill him? Really?
The story is given to us in Genesis 22, and though we are not told what Abraham thought, we can imagine his reaction. We are simply told that he got up the next day and went to Moriah as he was instructed. There was nothing convenient in Abraham’s obedience. It was not easy. It was not without pain and it was probably not without questions. The point is, he obeyed, and God rewarded the obedience. He provided a ram in Isaac’s place. Isaac was preserved to do the job God designed for him.
Looking at the record, obedience was never convenient. It was not convenient for Noah to spend 120 years building a boat the size of an aircraft carrier when there wasn’t enough water around to float a bathtub. But he obeyed. It wasn’t convenient for Daniel to keep God’s law and be rewarded with a trip to the lion’s den. But he obeyed. It wasn’t convenient for Jesus to go to the cross on behalf of an ungrateful and rebellious people, many of whom would never even accept his sacrifice. But he obeyed.
What about us? Are we about obedience or convenience? Today’s culture is all about convenience; fast food, instant messaging, whatever it takes to make life simple and convenient.
Jesus took a different view. In Luke 9:23-24, He says “ . . .if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Jesus calls us to obedience, not convenience.
What is God asking you to do that is going make life a little inconvenient for you? What are you avoiding? Is it time to step up and teach that Sunday School class? Is it time to talk to that hostile co-worker? Is it time to start tithing, even though your spouse just got laid off? Is it time for obedience to God’s call on your life? None of those things are going to make your life more convenient. Or will they? Obedience brings its own reward. There are blessings that God cannot rain down on you until you step into obedience. There are rewards and payoffs that you will never see if you don’t choose to obey what God has given you to do. That however, is not the reason to obey. We obey because we love our Father and are grateful for what He has given us. The level of our obedience is a direct result of our level of commitment to God. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” A simple statement that says a mouthful.
No, obedience will almost never be convenient. But it will be the most rewarding set of experiences you ever have. The peace of being in His will is priceless
