Big Price to Pay!

Ella’s parents were divorced when Ella was in fifth grade. Because Ella blamed God for not answering her prayer to keep the family together, she gave up living like a believer. She began to sneak out at night, skip church, and skip school. At first, the discipline at home and school was moderate: detention, being grounded, a tighter curfew. When Ella rebelled and continued to do whatever she wanted, the discipline was more harsh. She was expelled from school and no one trusted her. Finally she was badly injured in a car accident in which the driver was drunk.

Sometimes we don’t like to think of God as someone who disciplines us when we rebel and go our own way. “That’s not loving!” some people declare. Actually, the opposite is true. God disciplines us because he loves us, just as an earthly father corrects his kids to help them live a better life. If God didn’t love us, he’d let us rebel and do nothing about it. But he knows that the consequences of living a life without him will kill us. The Lord will do what’s necessary to convince you to get back on a path toward life. That’s because he loves you so much.

Terrific Trade

Hailey had been obedient as a small child, but when she was eleven, it suddenly became harder. She felt her mom was too picky about cleaning her room and limiting TV and phone time. Even though Hailey kept most of her irritation to herself, her stomach often hurt. When she finally decided to obey willingly instead of reluctantly or with irritation, the upset stomach disappeared.

Being obedient is good training for life. . If you’re obedient to your parents when you’re a child, it’s easier as an adult believer to be obedient to God’s Word and live a happy, abundant life. Obedience has to be learned. Even Jesus had to learn to obey—did you know that? “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8 NASU) Being obedient—especially doing something we really don’t want to do—will bring a form of suffering. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever suffer as much as Jesus did on the cross, but obedience will cost you some mental pain or emotional discomfort. The suffering usually results from not getting your own way about something. Be ready, stand firm, and you’ll come through on the other side of it—victorious! The more you learn to respectfully obey, the easier it will become. Then the turmoil and conflict will be replaced with joy and peace—a terrific trade!

First Do This...

Nicole’s older sister Steph caused constant turmoil in the family. At sixteen, Steph demanded to run her own life. She rebelled against everything: going to church, her curfew, doing homework, and any rule their parents set. In high school, she’d made new friends, and these friends liked to party. Nicole shared a room with her sister, who often dragged in reeking of alcohol and cigarettes. When Steph’s boyfriend dumped her, Steph was stunned and hurt. Nicole heard Steph pray for God to bring him back. When it didn’t happen, she blamed God and continued to rebel. Nicole shook her head. How could Steph expect God to hear her prayer—even if he wanted to help her—when she continued in her sinful and rebellious lifestyle?

Nicole’s sister is no different from many people. They rebel against the Lord’s instructions, but when an emergency strikes, they expect God to answer their prayers anyway. He won’t. “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.” (Proverbs 28:9 TNIV) God has made it clear throughout Scripture. He won’t help rebellious people. If you’re cherishing certain sins in your life, deal with them and get it out of your life. Then you’ll be in a position for God to hear your prayers.