Painful Obedience

If you search throughout the Bible you will see acts of obedience to God that were not easy and simple. A lot of those steps were filled with pain, but nonetheless the will of the Lord was followed through.

Hannah is no exception to this. Her following through with her vow to God to give Him her son had to be extremely painful indeed. Her act of obedience cost her dearly, yet she had a heart filled with praise and worship after she obeyed. And as a result of her obedience we have the prophet Samuel that was used to lead God’s people and anoint future kings.

We see the heart of God when He calls for obedience over sacrifice throughout His word. And I am confident that His desire for our obedience to Him is great because it reveals our hearts for Him. Jesus himself says, “if you love me, you will obey me.”

Moses was directed by God to save His people out of Egypt, no easy task that undoubtedly tore at his heart at different times.

Abraham was told to give up Isaac to the Lord to prove his faithfulness to God, and that day most definitely ripped his heart to pieces before he found relief that it was a test.

Numerous prophets of God were called to speak His word in the face of persecution, death and rejection from the people of God.

And we cannot forget our Lord Jesus, who walked out extremely painful steps of obedience throughout his ministry here on earth, all the way up to the cross. 

All of these responses to obey the Lord were met with angst, grief and sometimes despair.

When I think back on my own life, I can definitely pinpoint specific callings to obey the Lord being met with some level of pain. Sometimes the pain was battling my own flesh, my want for comfort and not difficulty. Other times the pain was heartbreaking from the steps of obedience, such as moving abroad and away from dear family and friends. Pain was also involved in walking out His plans for my life that resulted with me sacrificing a personal dream or desire. 

Pain in obedience is not a bad thing, however. It is hard to push through when pain is involved, but the rewards of following through with a commitment to obey God is always worth the struggle.

Choosing to obey the Lord reflects a heart that trusts Him in the calling, that knows He has a plan greater than we can imagine, and it is a good plan. It is believing that God works things out for our good and His purposes in the end, which are holy, just and righteous.

The pain is the result of us choosing to die to our flesh, our sinful nature and human desires, in order to see God’s will be followed through in us and around us. 

Do not let a call with painful obedience hold you back from following through. The Lord is not out to crush and destroy us. The pain is temporary as this life is temporary, but our acts of love to God are always met with, “well done, good and faithful servant.”