Consequences of Obedience

Josiah and I were having a conversation over lunch today about consequences. It's normal to assume that the consequences of obedience will be good, and that's the level of discussion that Josiah and I were on...at the most basic level, he needs to know that disobedience brings bad consequences, but obedience brings good consequences.

But later this afternoon, a very dearly-loved and respected friend came over; and as we talked, I thought about this issue of consequences a little deeper. I was reminded of a devotional from Oswald Chambers' classic book My Utmost for His Highest. It's entitled, "What My Obedience to God Costs Other People."

Chambers writes: If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us; and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God it will mean that other people's plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it, "You call this Christianity?" We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid...We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him. Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.

I think it's easy, on one hand, to assume that our obedience to God may hurt people who don't know God or love Him. But what about people who do know God, who love Him very much, but who disagree with how we hear His voice speaking??? That's where the deepest pain comes in, and I don't know of an answer to that except to endure the pain, trusting that further down the road, it will be clear what God was doing...and we will see that the consequences of obedience are indeed good. God is big enough to make it all clear, big enough to continue to lead us through the fog and the pain, and big enough to take care of both sides: the one who thinks he must take certain steps to obey God, and the one who is hurt as a result.