"Oh, Alright" - Obeying When It's Not Fun

I wonder if you are as familiar with the "Oh, alright" response as I am. It's what you say when...

you'd rather continue pulling your sister's hair
you'd rather finish watching the basketball game instead of helping set the table
you'd rather sleep in on Sunday morning instead of preparing a lesson
you'd rather not make dinner for a huge group of people
you'd rather not take the 'open door'

But it needs to be done, and you're willing. While we're sometimes displeased and sometimes not thrilled with the idea, there is value in our obedience, even when we'd rather...

And Samuel and the disciples demonstrate the value of obedience even when you're displeased, even when it's not easy.


When You're Displeased...

6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."...

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."
Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town." -1 Samuel 8:6-9,19-21

I was immediately struck by this situation. Samuel was displeased, even so... he prayed about it. And he was open to to listen to God's will for him. Even though it wasn't what he wanted to hear, that was what he heard.

Sometimes I feel like I resist what God's telling me if I'm displeased with it. Now, I am extremely excited about the PhD program I'm entering- the wonderfully sweet SLAT community, the exciting research opportunities, the diversity of experiences and interdisciplinary nature of the program, but it was something that I resisted for a while. I got on a listserv for different jobs in the area, searched on several other job sites, etc. But, I didn't want to hear that the PhD was for me. Finally, it seemed like the open door... and so that's where I am. After talking with Dr. Waugh and other grad students, I feel very much at peace with my decision and pleased with the opportunities and preparation that SLAT will provide for me. But, I resisted. I was initially displeased, and I didn't want to hear anything other than what I wanted to hear.

So I must tell you that I greatly admire Samuel this morning... and his obedience, in spite of his displeasure- to go and pray to God and to be so open to His leading.


When It's Not Easy...

23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." -Luke 9:23-27

Additionally, we have the disciples who are told to-
daily take up their cross
follow
lose their life

They were told to give up everything they had- their career, their material possessions- and follow. They were told to take up their cross- a physical burden symbolizing perhaps the weight of their responsibility. They were told to lose their life- making others and the work of the kingdom more important than themselves.

This is not an easy message, but the disciples obeyed.

I pray to day that even when we are not thrilled with what we need to do, that we might say, "Oh, alright" and give it to God.