The Dreaded Obedience...

Obedience. Oh, what a nasty word!

That loathsome word from childhood; the evil precursor before words such as, “Because I said so!”

I hate the word obedience and I don’t think I’m alone.  I can’t think of an incident that led to an abhorrence of “obedience,” other than the inevitability of subscribing to authority. But, as an “adult” there’s nothing inevitable about obedience. It’s something we (hopefully!) learn as children, because we need that skill as adults. Yet, what is rarely spoken of in regards to obedience is the insanity aspect. 

Noah was told to build a boat and save all the animals and his family from the flood, even though they had never seen rain before. They didn’t know what rain or a flood was and yet Noah built a boat.
Insane. This made no sense to Noah or his culture. If we were honest humans, we’d admit we would have been part of the community that mocked and humiliated Noah’s actions.

But obedience in God’s culture looks like building a boat when it never rains.

Abraham moved his family without knowing where God was taking them. If someone in your circle announced he was quitting, leaving, and packing his family up in the van and heading in the general southwesterly direction… you’d pronounce him nuts.

But obedience in God’s culture looks like going when you don’t know the destination.

Ananias was told to go pray for a terrorist. “Yo, Ani, I got the lead terrorist blinded at this house and I need you to pray for him so he’ll see again.” Most Christians I know would stab a blind terrorist if they had the chance. Shoot first. Ask questions later. Why wouldn’t we shoot a terrorist?

But obedience in God’s culture looks like praying for the terrorist.

What’s the flip side? What does disobedience look like in God’s culture?  

King Saul was made the first king of a nation and repeatedly disobeyed God. It’s hard to tell, but I don’t think he ever really repented before failing the next obedience test. Maybe he was just good at playing the “good Christian” game, and wanted people to like him. He wanted fame and human approval more than God’s approval. Yet it cost him and his heirs the kingdom.

Disobedience in God’s culture looks like being mad and so desperate, you’re willing to talk to witches and dead priests in order to find God’s will again.

Godly obedience looks weird to us, because it doesn’t look like we think it should.

It seems insane. It doesn’t always have logic attached to it. Such as… giving away our hard earned money to God or some person, when we think we need it. Going out of our way to help someone or speak to someone. It usually involves us using our skills or abilities to do something we’d rather not do, cheerfully. Or how about doing something that draws attention? We can be okay being privately obedient to God, but don’t ask me to do anything that draws attention to the fact that this is crazy!!! We all want to be as awesome a disciple as John was, the one Jesus loved! But we prove ourselves over and over to be more like the moronic Peter, rebuked and corrected in every chapter.

Why? Obedience usually means not understanding why and being willing to look and feel insane for the purposes of God.

Maybe this helps explain something for you. Maybe it doesn’t. Obedience to God is not pretty, cute and easy, like childhood obedience to parents. Yet it is always for our best interest.  It’s not the little toddler learning to not touch adult things. It’s a struggle to let go of control and let God do something unusual with us. It usually hurts. And we can’t honestly say it’s worth it until we complete it, and walk several years away from the experience.

Yet, who would you rather be lumped with; Noah and Abraham who felt crazy for being obedient or an actually insane king who lost his kingdom because of disobedience?