One of the devil’s favorite techniques is to tell me to obey God and then he gives his own definition as to what obedience looks like.
This puts us me a bind. If I try to “obey” the devil’s description it would mess up my life, but, if I don’t “obey,” I feel that God is angry with me. The devil has his own take on forgiveness, turn the other cheek, and integrity.
Today I’d like to talk about the obedient, bad attitude, son
You might ask why I find this topic comforting. Well, obviously, I like to remember that God sees my obedience as a good thing even when I’m not all that pumped to do it. Which is most of the time.
One day a dad went out to work and asked bad attitude son to help. “No way” was his reply. Then he asked the good attitude son who replied ” in a minute dad.” Then the bad attitude son showed up and worked hard all day and the good attitude son never showed up. You figure it out, which one did the will of his father?
Matthew 21:28
The devil suggests that it is hypocrisy to obey when I don’t want to, or can’t see how it would work, or don’t feel worthy. (See my blog on the definition of faith) It is enough to have a picture of God’s principles in action and then to move your body members in accordance with this picture.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:19
In fact, those things that I don’t want to do, but do because he asks me to, these prove my love more than obedience that comes easily.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s OK to enjoy serving the Lord, but don’t wait till it all comes natural and just bubbles out of you. I can teach and propound on God’s Word and help his struggling children apply his wisdom to their situations with no struggle and with great enjoyment. However when I fast, pray or knock on doors, then the Lord knows how much I love him because it feels like wading through mud. I have learned not to judge others or be bothered by their judgment of me when I find some obedience easier or harder than they do.
I remember when, by grace beyond myself, I had managed to fast for 30 days (not an eat-at-night fast). I ran into someone who said, “yeah, I do that all the time, it’s fun isn’t it?” I had to run to the Lord, who assured me that he was aware that I hadn’t found it fun but that he appreciated it because it was a sacrifice. (I did find it beneficial.)
Neither will I offer offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.
2 Samuel 24:24
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