I Samuel 15:22 says: But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (Heed means to pay careful attention to).
My kids were memorizing this passage for something. It was a verse that honestly didn't make a whole lot of sense to me in the past, but this time the words started penetrating my heart. God has something to teach me about this.
Life seems to just get busier. The work to keep up is a huge task. Most days I think of how I should have helped my mom more, and how much I took for granted all that she did for us each day. I often think about how the "maintenance" of life is enough to keep a woman busy 24 hours a day-- when in the world do we have time to move forward? You know how you keep doing something a certain way, because you just don't have time to stop and redo your system to make it better? Survival mode, I'll call it.
God has had a bit to say to my heart about all of this. I love how He says that to obey is better than sacrifice. So, it's not wrong to sacrifice, but to obey is the better choice! So, the things I am doing to sacrifice, or the things I give up can definitely be good things. But He wants obedience first. Let me give you a few of examples in my life:
SACRIFICE #1: I will work like a dog to keep my house picked up/clean.
GOD'S COMMAND: (Philippians 4:5) Let your gentleness be evident to all.
CONCLUSION: Being frustrated with my family, because the house is a mess or having unkind words towards my children in order to get the house the way I want it is putting sacrifice over obedience. By the way, while having a picked up and clean house is a good thing, God does not command it.
SACRIFICE #2: I will work to remove Mt. Everest from my kitchen sink while my family enjoys an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
GOD'S COMMAND: (Eph. 4:31) Get rid of all bitterness
CONCLUSION: I have two choices here. I can change my attitude (the attitude that says, "Will I ever get a break? How in the world can they feel the freedom to relax on the couch when there is work to be done!!!) and continue to wash the dishes. Or, I can go watch Little House on the Prairie with my family and leave a pile of dishes in the kitchen sink for an hour. God does not command an empty sink at all times, but he does command me to get rid of all bitterness.
SACRIFICE #3: I will make a glorious meal in the crockpot that will take me an hour to prepare in the morning. I have to get this meal going, so I am going to have to skip spending time with the Lord this morning.
GOD'S COMMAND: (John 15:4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
CONCLUSION: I can get up an hour earlier to prepare my meal, or I can choose to make something simpler like grilled cheese and tomato soup or even.... a frozen pizza! God does not call me to make glorious meals, but He does call me to abide in Him.
There are many more examples I could give, but you probably get the point. Anyway... I just thought I would share what has been rolling around in my brain and heart for awhile.
Andi
Life seems to just get busier. The work to keep up is a huge task. Most days I think of how I should have helped my mom more, and how much I took for granted all that she did for us each day. I often think about how the "maintenance" of life is enough to keep a woman busy 24 hours a day-- when in the world do we have time to move forward? You know how you keep doing something a certain way, because you just don't have time to stop and redo your system to make it better? Survival mode, I'll call it.
God has had a bit to say to my heart about all of this. I love how He says that to obey is better than sacrifice. So, it's not wrong to sacrifice, but to obey is the better choice! So, the things I am doing to sacrifice, or the things I give up can definitely be good things. But He wants obedience first. Let me give you a few of examples in my life:
SACRIFICE #1: I will work like a dog to keep my house picked up/clean.
GOD'S COMMAND: (Philippians 4:5) Let your gentleness be evident to all.
CONCLUSION: Being frustrated with my family, because the house is a mess or having unkind words towards my children in order to get the house the way I want it is putting sacrifice over obedience. By the way, while having a picked up and clean house is a good thing, God does not command it.
SACRIFICE #2: I will work to remove Mt. Everest from my kitchen sink while my family enjoys an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
GOD'S COMMAND: (Eph. 4:31) Get rid of all bitterness
CONCLUSION: I have two choices here. I can change my attitude (the attitude that says, "Will I ever get a break? How in the world can they feel the freedom to relax on the couch when there is work to be done!!!) and continue to wash the dishes. Or, I can go watch Little House on the Prairie with my family and leave a pile of dishes in the kitchen sink for an hour. God does not command an empty sink at all times, but he does command me to get rid of all bitterness.
SACRIFICE #3: I will make a glorious meal in the crockpot that will take me an hour to prepare in the morning. I have to get this meal going, so I am going to have to skip spending time with the Lord this morning.
GOD'S COMMAND: (John 15:4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
CONCLUSION: I can get up an hour earlier to prepare my meal, or I can choose to make something simpler like grilled cheese and tomato soup or even.... a frozen pizza! God does not call me to make glorious meals, but He does call me to abide in Him.
There are many more examples I could give, but you probably get the point. Anyway... I just thought I would share what has been rolling around in my brain and heart for awhile.
Andi
