Obedience : The Priority of Obedience

Before leaving for work, a father says to his son, “Straighten your room, take out the garbage, and sweep the driveway.” When Dad comes home, the son explains his unique approach to the chore list: “Well, Dad, the garbage can was only half full. And, I figured nobody would see my room. But, I cleaned the driveway, just as you said.”

How many of us would say the son obeyed his father? Some of us treat God the same way. We approach Him with rationalizations and arguments, instead of submission. When Saul spared an enemy king and kept the best of the war plunder, He disobeyed God. The Lord commanded him to destroy everyone and everything, but Saul followed his own plan.

First, he argued that he followed the Lord’s command. With the exception of the rival king, everything had been wiped out (1 Sam. 15:13 & 15). When the prophet Samuel rebuked Saul for disobedience, the king passed the blame to the people. He also attempted to justify the sinful action by claiming he was planning to offer the choice plunder as a sacrifice. Persistent disobedience led the Lord to withdraw His blessing from Saul’s reign.

We might think our rationalizations sound convincing. But God isn’t fooled. He requires complete obedience. When we choose to follow only portions of His will, we are actually being disobedient and there will be consequences. Anytime we step outside God’s will for our lives, we can expect consequences for not choosing the right path.