Disobeying Directions
As my week with the rental car wore on, I got more and more confident with my onboard friend. I could ask her to show me the nearest bookstore, how to avoid interstates when driving back to my hotel, or how to find an Outback Steakhouse.
In fact, one night I decided Outback sounded like a nice dinner choice, so I typed that into the machine, and she enthusiastically guided me on my way. But as we got closer to Outback, I saw a TGI Friday’s, and decided fish and chips sounded like a better choice. When Ms. AutoMap told me to turn left, I kept going straight. She did that a couple more times while I ignored her. I could tell she was a bit put out. Eventually, she told me she was “recalculating route,” but I didn’t give her the chance. I pulled into the Friday’s parking lot. Her response was icy silence right up until I turned off the ignition. And I felt kind of bad. I told her where I wanted to go, she dutifully prepared the directions, and then I ignored them and went my own way.
That was the second way that I decided this was like my relationship to God.
See, sometimes God tells me exactly what I need to go to make progress on the path He set me on. And sometimes I don’t just make a mistake. I intentionally go in a direction that I know isn’t His preferred route for me. And that’s when I get the still silence, the lack of response, the aloofness that sometimes drives me crazy. When I’m in those places of my own making, I’m usually surprised for a bit that He’s no longer shouting out directions. But I eventually figure out that I put myself into this spot. His response shouldn’t surprise me.
My Bible reading recently brought forth one of my favorite examples of disobedience (That’s sad that I have favorite examples of disobedience. I could probably come up with some examples of obedience... if I thought hard enough). In the book of 1 Samuel, Saul is giddy happy with the success he’s experienced in his pursuit of the Amalekites. He was on a mission from God to destroy them and he did… sort of. Because despite the instructions to wipe out everything, he decided to bring home a few spoils for himself. And the prophet Samuel, in one of the best examples of scriptural understatement, calls him on it.
“But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed." Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"
Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.' "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." (1 Samuel 15:16-21)
Another sign of faulty leadership - blame others for the mistakes.
In the following verse Samuel reminds Saul that what God wants is not spoils, but obedience. He doesn’t want us to sin in the process of pursuing something that God doesn’t want in the first place.
Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much 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. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
At the end of my business trip, it was with some sadness that I returned the rental car to the carport and boarded my flight home. It was a safe bet that I knew how to get where I wanted to go. The question is, will I follow directions?
What part of your life is most susceptible to ignoring the right directions?
In fact, one night I decided Outback sounded like a nice dinner choice, so I typed that into the machine, and she enthusiastically guided me on my way. But as we got closer to Outback, I saw a TGI Friday’s, and decided fish and chips sounded like a better choice. When Ms. AutoMap told me to turn left, I kept going straight. She did that a couple more times while I ignored her. I could tell she was a bit put out. Eventually, she told me she was “recalculating route,” but I didn’t give her the chance. I pulled into the Friday’s parking lot. Her response was icy silence right up until I turned off the ignition. And I felt kind of bad. I told her where I wanted to go, she dutifully prepared the directions, and then I ignored them and went my own way.
That was the second way that I decided this was like my relationship to God.
See, sometimes God tells me exactly what I need to go to make progress on the path He set me on. And sometimes I don’t just make a mistake. I intentionally go in a direction that I know isn’t His preferred route for me. And that’s when I get the still silence, the lack of response, the aloofness that sometimes drives me crazy. When I’m in those places of my own making, I’m usually surprised for a bit that He’s no longer shouting out directions. But I eventually figure out that I put myself into this spot. His response shouldn’t surprise me.
My Bible reading recently brought forth one of my favorite examples of disobedience (That’s sad that I have favorite examples of disobedience. I could probably come up with some examples of obedience... if I thought hard enough). In the book of 1 Samuel, Saul is giddy happy with the success he’s experienced in his pursuit of the Amalekites. He was on a mission from God to destroy them and he did… sort of. Because despite the instructions to wipe out everything, he decided to bring home a few spoils for himself. And the prophet Samuel, in one of the best examples of scriptural understatement, calls him on it.
“But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed." Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"
Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.' "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." (1 Samuel 15:16-21)
Another sign of faulty leadership - blame others for the mistakes.
In the following verse Samuel reminds Saul that what God wants is not spoils, but obedience. He doesn’t want us to sin in the process of pursuing something that God doesn’t want in the first place.
Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much 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. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
At the end of my business trip, it was with some sadness that I returned the rental car to the carport and boarded my flight home. It was a safe bet that I knew how to get where I wanted to go. The question is, will I follow directions?
What part of your life is most susceptible to ignoring the right directions?
Labels: Obedience
posted by Tom Petersen at 5:31 PM
3 Comments:
Blame is the one coping vehicle that will always bite you at some point. As a mom with grown chidren I have to say when I saw my children not using blame, but taking ownership for their goofs I knew they were maturing.
As Christians that is probably a good clue for us on our maturity in Christ. If regrets and wondering if so and so hadn't done "that thing," I'd be better off ... ummmm I do believe that is my sign for repentant prayer.
Great post.
I also ignore at times my earthbound as well as heavenly GPS.
The first as in your case is often a matter of choices changing by me.
The second is a matter of my pride reigning in me.
The first understandable and acceptable; the second understandable yet incomprehensible given my track record with previous instances.
But I will keep driving.
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