disobedience (noun): failure or refusal to obey rules or someone in authority
We've heard the saying several times, obedience is better than sacrifice (did you know that's actually in the bible? Yep, I knew it too - I never thought it was just a really wise saying 👀. Anyway, this "saying" in 1 Samuel 15:22 was what Samuel said to Saul after his disobedience and I think it perfectly captures what our approach to obeying God should be. Our mindset should be one of obeying God, no matter what we think it might cost us. This "cost" is far less than the sacrifice required to appease God after disobeying Him. There are a number of examples in the bible of people who were disobedient and suffered the consequences of their disobedience. God was and always will be merciful but there are some consequences that just cannot be escaped.
We very often rely on the grace of God that keep us daily and allows us to continue to walk in God's will, even when we take the wrong step occasionally. That grace will always be active but may not always deliver us from the consequences of certain actions. So what are some of the things that happen when we are disobedient. Here are a few:
You reap what you sow: one of the basic rules of life that applies aptly when there is disobedience. In Galatians 6:7, Paul reminds us that "God cannot be mocked" and it may surprise you to think of disobedience as mocking God. mocking his power to choose whether or not to have mercy and compassion.
You reject God and step out of the cover of grace: repeated disobedience is essentially rejecting God's call to living a holy life and choosing your own path. It's not as freeing as you might think, to eschew God's instructions and follow the flesh. 1 Thessalonians 4:8
You lose your way: it goes without saying, if you're not following God's way and choosing to go your own way, you're going the wrong way. The only right way to fulfil God's purpose and please Him is to follow Him and Him alone! Not doing so means your life will not go the way it's meant to and you'll likely waste precious time and resource on the wrong things.
You lose your life: By far the scariest consequence of disobedience. I certainly don't mean your physical life but the risk of physical death is also one we need to be mindful of. Spiritual death can happen slowly, over time, as our conscience becomes dulled to the voice and leading of God. A lack of repentance is the natural outcome as we are no longer convicted of the disobedience that draws us away from God.
The account of the old and young prophet (1 Kings 13:11-25) is a chilling reminder of how important it is to follow God's instructions with no deviation. We don't know what lies ahead of us but God does so when He instructs us, our faith in God should lead us to trust Him wholly and completely, no exceptions! I'll share a separate post about how we can take steps to ensure we do not disobey God.