Do you remember that old song from Sesame Street? The one that says, “One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn’t belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others, By the time I finish my song?…” It was a great song that helped children learn the differences between objects and opened up a world of learning possibilities.
By my title, you might be wondering the same thing. What does disobedience have to do with God’s will and blessings? Let’s take a look at each one before I answer that question.
God’s Will
- We all want to find God’s will for our lives. God’s will gives us a purpose, a reason for living, a much needed direction to follow. God’s will gives us hope for the future, even when life doesn’t look so great, because we know that we are going somewhere better. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Blessings
- We all want to be blessed. Just think of how much you enjoy getting a gift for no other reason than because someone wanted to see you smile. It’s in our nature, put there by God, so that we can experience the joy that comes from living a God-filled life. (James 1:17)
Disobedience
- Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, disobedience is also a part of our nature. One of the first words a baby learns to say is “No”, and that basically sums up what disobedience is. Unlike wanting to be blessed, however, disobedience is a by-product of sin, brought into humanity by Adam and Eve way back when. (Romans 5:12)
So what DOES disobedience have to do with God’s will and blessings?
Let’s think of God’s will as a straight line that will take us from point A to point B. God is walking along, leading the way, and we are happily skipping along beside Him, enjoying His presence and His blessings. Our purpose is being revealed with each step He takes because we are doing what God says when He says it and how He wants it done. And because of that obedience, we are blessed.
But somewhere along that line we start getting distracted by the stuff that surrounds it, and our grip on God’s hand loosens, and then we don’t even realize that at some point we dropped His hand, His will, completely and we have gone off on our own to explore. God’s still moving, He’s still making His way along that line, but we’ve turned a deaf ear to His calls to return to Him. Disobedience changes how we view the will of God and destroys the blessings that God has in store for us.
Of course, God’s plan for our lives never changes, the destiny He crafted for each of us will stay the same, but our choices determine whether we will ever reach the fulfillment of that plan.
But the good news is that God will always welcome us back. His grace, mercy, and blessings are waiting for us, we just have to turn away from our disobedience and start walking with Him again.
“For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” Deuteronomy 30:16
Blessings, Kathy W.