A Simple Thought: Obedience

Here’s a simple thought for you.

A good excuse to disobey God still leaves you out of his blessing.

A friend and I were talking the other day, and she’s walking through a really difficult season where someone hurt her.

One of those situations where really, truly she did nothing wrong.

We all had those moments with our girlfriends where they’re telling you their story, and outwardly you’re agreeing, but inwardly you’re making a mental list of all the places they went wrong. Outwardly you’re nodding your head and saying “Oh no, I totally get it” but inwardly you’re thinking “How on earth could you not have seen that was the wrong decision?”

We’ve all been there.

But this wasn’t that.

Lay all the circumstances out on the table, look at this situation from any angle, and sure there were mistakes made on both sides, I’m not saying she’s perfect… But in the big picture, it’s just unfair.

The truth is, we’ve all been there too.

Life serves you a dose of an unfair, unjust, hurtful situation and no one is left to pick up the pieces but you. It hurts.

Disappointment happens. People make mistakes that we are often the victims of and real pain can be inflicted on us without our permission.

But the truth is, a good excuse to disobey God still leaves you out of his blessing.

In this context, relationally, I’m talking about forgiveness.

And I don’t know where you are today or how this will speak to you, but I think it applies to a number of truths.

Maybe you’re not in a hurtful situation, maybe your life is actually going great–but what is it?

Is it your finances? Maybe you’re in a tight spot right now financially and generosity and tithing are just “things you can’t do right now.”

Sure, I get it. I’ve been there.

But a good excuse to disobey God still leaves you out of his blessing.

Maybe it’s your relationship with your boyfriend. You’ve been together for years and you’ve been living together, and it just makes sense to stay where you’re at in your relationship.

I actually get it.

But a good excuse for disobedience is still disobedience.

Maybe you were hurt by someone and you’ve allowed bitterness to take root. Months have passed and you’re still talking with your girlfriends about what that person did wrong or how you “wish them the best” but secretly you’re still wishing for revenge.

I get it.

But a good excuse to disobey God still leaves you out of his blessing.

Don’t hear me wrong. I’m not here to judge your circumstances, invalidate your pain, or throw the first stone. If anything, I’ve outlined these scenarios because they are very real and there was real pain and your decisions have been made with real reasoning.

But that’s the danger.

A good reason, a valid circumstance, an airtight alibi, is all we need to convince ourselves right in a situation that can still end up being wrong.

So that’s my thought for you, and that’s where I’ll leave you.

I don’t know where you’re at today, but is it possible that you can be in the wrong place with the right reasoning?

I think this question can be so powerful in and out of season. It’s one I know I return to often.

Remember you’re not alone. Your determination to do the hard work of answering the hard questions will reap dividends in your life.

Here for you always, church girl.