SAYING 'YES' TO GOD'S BEST (3 OF 5)

JUMPING LIFE'S HURDLES: PART THREE / SAYING "YES" TO GOD'S BEST

WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I DID NOT
LISTEN TO MY MOTHER. SHE WOULD ASK ME TO DO A CHORE AND IF I WAS
BUSY ENTERTAINING MYSELF, I WOULD IGNORE HER, OR I MIGHT SAY "IN
A MINUTE", BUT NOT TAKE A STEP. SHE WOULD THEN ASK AGAIN AND BE
MORE INSISTENT. IF I DID NOT RESPOND THEN, THINGS COULD GET
PHYSICAL.

ONE DAY A FRIEND OF MINE, STEVE, WAS VISITING. MY MOM NICELY
ASKED ME TO TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE. SHE REPEATED THE REQUEST
SEVERAL TIMES. I DID NOT RESPOND. MY FRIEND STEVE GOT UP AND
TOOK OUT THE GARBAGE. SHE THANKED HIM. HE SHAMED ME. HE SAID,
"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE."

I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT STEVE SAID. I REMEMBERED WHAT IT WAS LIKE
WHEN I VISITED HIS HOUSE AND HE DISPLEASED HIS PARENTS. IT WAS
BRUTAL. HIS DAD WOULD YANK HIM BY THE EAR ACROSS THE ROOM. AND I
WOULD DISAPPEAR. I WAS NEVER TREATED LIKE THAT AND STEVE KNEW
IT.

SO WHY DIDN'T I RESPOND PROMPTLY? I WAS TAKING A LOT FOR
GRANTED.

I WAS SHOWING NO HONOR FOR MY MOTHER!

IF I THOUGHT I WAS SHOWING LOVE OR HONOR OR RESPECT TO MY
MOTHER, I WAS NOT! IF SOMEONE ASKED ME IF I LOVED MY MOTHER AND
HONORED HER, I WOULD HAVE SAID YES. WHICH WAS TRUE?

I WAS DECEIVING MYSELF!

GOD DESIRES AND DESERVES MORE THAN DELAYED OBEDIENCE, OR NO
OBEDIENCE AT ALL.

IF WE EVEN POLITELY LISTEN, BUT DO NOT RESPOND, WE ARE DECEIVING
OURSELVES ABOUT PLEASING GOD! OBVIOUSLY HE IS NOT FOOLED! MY
MOTHER WASN'T. WE ARE MISING THE BLESSING OF OBEYING GOD.

WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IS THE GREAT DIVORCE.

NOT BETWEEN ...

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