First-Time Obedience

As parents, my husband and I try to teach our daughters obedience … first-time obedience. Obeying as soon as we request something of them. Obeying the first time, all the time without rebuttal, excuses, or procrastination.

“But I don’t want to right now.”

“Let me finish this first.”

“In a minute.”

Those replies are not obedient. In fact, delayed obedience is disobedience.

As adults, do we obey God … the first time, all the time without rebuttal, excuses, or procrastination? Most likely, we are guilty of the same behavior of our children.

“God, I really don’t want to do that.”

“Well, I’d rather do this.”

“Not right now, God.”

Abraham obeyed God. When the Lord asked Him to sacrifice his only son—the son he had waited practically forever to have—Abraham obeyed. Immediately. Genesis 22:3 says that he woke up “early” the next morning to set out on the journey to complete what God had requested.

I’m pretty sure that after a request from God to sacrifice my first and only child that I would have procrastinated a teensy little bit. Pushed snooze a couple times. Found a couple other chores to finish first. Talked it over with a few friends.

But delayed obedience is not obedience.

Like Abraham, we should say “Here I am, Lord.” Just as we desire our children to say “Yes, Mommy; Yes, Daddy,” we should say “Yes, Heavenly Father.”

What has God been asking of you lately? Are you saying “Yes, Lord” or “Not right now; maybe later”? Be a man or woman of faith like Abraham, whose faith is “immediate.”