Learn To Obey II

 “…This little girl served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “I wish my master would meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his disease” 2 Kings 5:2-3 [NCV]

You must have the ability to identify an instruction and to obey it. Guess what? In a community, an instruction can come from downward vertical. God can use someone that is under you to talk to you. He can; He is God! God caused a donkey to talk to a Prophet. It can be horizontally. You can get an instruction from God from your peers. And obviously, it can be upward vertical. When God uses someone to give you an instruction, mostly, it is not something you do not know. But what happens is that when that person tells you, it is as if that person gives you permission to do it.

I picked up a new sport some time ago- tennis. So I loaded my ball machine and went to the court. The objective was to hit three hundred with my forehand and three hundred with my backhand, just to practice. The forehand balls were going really well but the backhand, not so well. So after a while, I was only hitting the balls with my forehand instead of both. And I was feeling very good with myself. I did not really notice but there was someone watching. And at some point he walked up to me and said, “can I advise you?” I said, “okay”. He said, “it is clear that you are good with your forehand but you are not so good with the backhand balls. I will advise you to stop hitting forehand and start practicing with the backhand”.

Did I not know that? I did, but it took someone else to tell me and it was like he was giving me permission to do what I already knew I should do. So the last batch of balls I had loaded into the machine I began to hit with my backhand. Initially it was not going so well but after a while it got better. And I left that place with a stronger backhand because I listened to instruction.

Some of us are so headstrong and so arrogant it is unbelievable. They cannot even take instruction from the people above them and certainly will not consider listening to someone they believe is below them. Meanwhile the solution to your life may just be with someone that you consider below you. What am I saying? I left that court a stronger player. I could have pleased myself, ignored my weakness and still remain where I am. Or I could listen to the voice of the community.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me recognize and accept instruction no matter who it comes from, in Jesus Name.