Part-Time Obedience is Unacceptable

Our Weekly Article of Encouragement Volume 2 Article 106

All of us have been disobedient to our parent many times growing up as children. We’re told to clean our rooms; take the trash out; do your chores before enjoying any kind of fun activities are engaged. And most of the time we tend to do them but not with our full concentration because we want to get it over with. We want to change the plan of our parents by doing the chores or assignments, adding or subtracting to the process with our own input. That’s what usually got us in trouble, and we didn’t get our chance to do what we wanted. There were some consequences that had to be paid because of our disobedience.
That’s what happens a lot of times in relationships, especially marriages. We want to do the right thing but our whole heart isn’t into it, and we find ourselves compromising with the truth. There are time are times when as husbands, we have the intentions of leading our families and marriages but we don’t heed to the instructions of what is the focus or foundation of what we believe. We try to get around it by doing things our way or not fully following directions to perhaps bypass something to get it over with. And we all know that when we circumvent to process of what our parents initially instructed us to do there are usually some consequences that we have to pay, and that meant being denied activities that we enjoyed as children.
Much like what the Bible says about being disobedient to God’s Word. God’s Word is specific about what He, our heavenly Father, instructs us to do in order to live a holy and acceptable life in Him. One of the most explicit examples the Bible uses is the disobedience of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15.

“Samuel also said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” – 1 Samuel 15:1-3

Samuel came to Saul with the words of God with specific purpose and expected him to carry out those instructions. Saul was at the beginning of his reign as king but he still had some growing to do when it came to understanding the obedience to the Lord. He listened to the words of Samuel and received them with an open mind and heart because they were coming from the man of God by way of God. So Saul gave the impression that he was following the words of the Lord and began the process of carrying out his instructions. But disobedience was in his heart as the battle war on. During this battle king Saul spare king Agag of the Amalekites, some of the oxen, sheep, lambs and fatlings that were good (vs.9). The Bible says that Saul was unwilling (disobedient) to destroy everything, but destroyed some of the things. Saul compromised; he altered God’s Word to him. And that’s exactly what we do in our marriages today.

We attempt to show our families that God is the head of our lives, but when it comes time to stand, to fight the battle and do our part, we tend to want to add our own perspectives, alter the process so that it is more convenient for us. What’s in it for us? Is it selfish motives? Do we just want to go through the motions to show our wives and families that we’re following God’s Word? It so easy to put on a show or display of being obedient, but lest we forget that our obedience has consequences and results that can be favorable or destructive. And that’s what happened to Saul.

“Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” – 1 Samuel 15: 19-21

Saul tried to explain his actions, blaming the people for sparing the things he chose to keep. He tried to defend himself by saying he did what the Lord God instructed him to do, but not taking ownership of his responsibility as king was his downfall. He was obedient for some of the time until it became clear to him that he was in control. Saul thought with the battle under his siege, the people could do or spare some of the ruin. If we are going to follow the word of God we need to follow Him wholeheartedly, and without compromise. Trying to get around instruction, adding our own ulterior motives against what thus saith the Lord will only get us in trouble with God. God wants obedience, not our input when He proclaims or gives us instruction on life or our situations. Too many times we want to change what God says thinking we’re doing Him a favor. Even in our marriages we want to change things, add our own touch thinking God will be okay with it. God is very specific when it comes to carrying out His instructions. There is no room for improvement because His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. He created us, not the other way around. So Saul’s disobedience was rejecting God’s Word, and later he would suffer the consequences of that rejection as king (vs.23).

So keeping our marriages in line with scripture, as husbands, spiritual leaders of our homes, let’s try to stay focused on what God’s Word says for us to do and obey God with every once of our being. Let’s stop putting up the façade of being obedient when it’s only convenient. God is in the business of part-time obedience. We’re going to obey God or we’re going to obey something or someone else. We can’t have it both ways.
If you’re struggling in this area of disobedience, stop right where you are in your walk with Christ and confess your disobedience. Ask God to forgive you for your lack of understanding and cleanse you from all iniquity and transgression (1 John 1:9). Don’t allow selfish motivations or hidden agendas to influence you into being disobedient. God wants our whole heart and following, not just when we’re in need of protection because we’ve failed to acknowledge Him at the beginning. Make a commitment today, and begin to follow Jesus Christ with you whole heart not just when it’s convenient but all the time.

“So Samuel said: Has 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 heed than the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22

If you would like to receive articles like this and other resources from Men of Redemption, just go to http://www.menofredemption.wordpress.com, enter your email address in the subscription box, click subscribe, and you’ll begin to receive them in your inbox every time we make a post.
You can also follow Men of Redemption on Twitter & Facebook.