Many of us have big dreams – things that, with God’s help, we want to do in our lives. For one person, it might be starting a snowboard ministry. For another, it might be reaching out to people through music. Still others have a vision to work in a local church.
It is funny, though, that we want God to trust us with these mammoth tasks of representing Him as a vocation, while, quite frankly, we can’t be trusted with the small things – little things like keeping the speed limit and being honest when we fill out our income tax forms.
We want God to trust us with much, but we live as if we shouldn’t be trusted even with little. We insist that it doesn’t matter if we break the speed limit – everyone does it! We find ways to justify our irresponsibility. But God wants more for us.
Obedience has been a struggle in every generation. In the Bible, Jonah was told to go to the city of Ninevah, but he didn’t wanna. So he disobeyed. Adam and Eve were told not to eat of the fruit, and they did. The Bible is littered with stories of disobedient followers who, despite God’s explicit instruction, went the other way. The struggle has not lessened since. Our tendency is to disobey – to go our own way, to do our own thing, despite what God instructs us.
It comes down to this – if we squander what we have, what would we do with more? If we rebel where we are, what would be any different if God moved us on to something better? If we can’t handle our meager paychecks now, how can we expect to manage more money later? How can we expect to be handed the big things if we cannot obey in the little things? It’s not about obeying legalistic rules – it’s about obeying and going deeper.
It’s hard. It’s a challenge to break those sloppy habits of disobedience that we’ve fallen into. But it’s not impossible. All we need is a little grace and change of heart. And thankfully, God specializes in both.
Dig Deeper:
Prayer:
Father, show me how to be obedient to Your spirit. I want to follow You and Your guidance as closely as possible.
