“You can go easy…or you can go hard” became the life statement of a friend of mine.
“My yoke is easy,” Christ said. Believe it or not, it is much easier to willingly obey God than rebelliously go your own way. “The way of the transgressor is hard.”
I’m reminded of Israel’s wanderings for 40 years in the desert. They could have made it in 11 DAYS!
Instead, they rebelled and “circled a mountain” for 40 YEARS.
Consider:
God is smarter than me
God’s will is not some Celestial Being capriciously playing with my destiny. He loves me. He knows best for me. And, incidentally, He is smarter than me.
Heaven is about “peace.” When I obey God and His Word, “peace” will come. When I obey my mind, my emotions, or my opinions, “confusion” will come.
It is foolish to run from God’s will
Jonah “decided” (against God’s instructions) he was NOT going to Ninevah. He booked passage on a ship in the opposite direction of Ninevah.
Three days in the belly of a huge fish was enough to “change his mind.” When the fish vomited him up on land, his feet barely hit the ground before he was running…to Ninevah!
“Obedience is better than sacrifice.”
Discipline is God’s love
We all know that “God is love.” It’s written all over the New Testament. Do you also know that “discipline is love?” A parent who never disciplines their child truly is not showing love to them.
God’s discipline is not punishment. It is correction. It is helping us to share in His holiness. It is for our good. When we easily and quickly repent for our many mistakes, it makes His discipline must shorter…and easier.
Pride and hard-headedness lead to the wilderness
King Nebuchadnezzar built the magnificent “hanging gardens of Babylon.” This pagan king proudly strutted on the rooftop. Without warning, God struck down his ego and pride by taking his mind for seven years. He ate grass like a cow and lived outdoors for seven…long… years.
Pride is a hard road. Stubbornness and hard-headedness lead you down a long, difficult road. Be tender toward the advice, correction and wisdom of others (particularly those in spiritual authority over you).
I must be “willing AND obedient”
Isaiah said, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land.” The little boy standing on his chair in the movie was threatened with a spanking if he stood up again. He folded his arms, pouting, and said, “I’m sitting down on the outside…but I’m standing up on the inside.”
Trust me. It’s not even just obedience. It is happy, willing obedience. It’s not just changing your actions, it’s changing your attitude. Then, “you will eat the good of the land!”
MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS. SOFTEN YOUR HEART AND YOUR HEAD. CHANGE DIRECTIONS EASILY. YIELD TO COUNSEL.
“YOU CAN GO EASY…OR YOU CAN GO HARD.”
