I Obey Right Away—Slow Obey Is No Obey
When my kids were quite a bit younger in church they were taught the lesson “I obey right away”. A friend of mine who taught kindergarten later told me, “We add to that…Slow obey is no obey.” I’ve heard others say “Slow obedience is no obedience.” Personally, I prefer the catchy sing-song rhyme version. I loved both “obey” sayings together, so we’ve adopted them and used them quite a bit in our home. “I obey right away. Slow obey is no obey.” I usually only had to say the first two words of each phrase, and then the kids would finish the remainder, often with a pitiful sigh.
Sometimes it’s hard for kids to recognize these stalling tactics as disobedience. After all, they’re not giving an outright “no”. Therefore it appears less defiant on the surface.
Command: “Go clean your room.” Slow obey: “I will after I finish this video game.”
Command: “Finish your homework.” Slow obey: “I want to get a snack first.”
Command: “Eat your vegetables.” Slow obey: “I’m going to save them for last.”
Regardless though delayed obedience is still disobedience. Stalled obedience is still a form of rebellion. Postponing obedience is disregarding and challenging authority all the same. Thus, slow obey is no obey.
Slow obey…it’s not just kids who do it
It struck me one day that this isn’t just a lesson for kids obeying their parents. Delayed obedience (thus disobedience) is not limited just to kids. Not at all. In fact, adults are just as guilty, myself included. One of the biggest areas we are at fault is avoiding or stalling on instructions from God. We KNOW he’s asked us to do something, but we continue to put it off, sometimes indefinitely.
We, all of us, need to be reminded of this lesson when obeying God.
Why do we postpone obedience? Most of the time it’s because we just flat out don’t want to do whatever it is that has been asked of us. It’s potentially undesirable, or we want to avoid some kind of discomfort or inconvenience. Sometimes, we avoid obeying right away because we don’t understand the reason behind the request or directive. It may not make any sense to us, or it might even seem counterintuitive.
Slow obey to the prayer team
I have joked before that God even plans for our disobedience. I remember a time many years ago when I felt like God might be nudging me to join the prayer team at church. To be very honest, this completely freaked me out! I mean praying at meals or even in front of people I knew in my women’s classes, small group, or volunteer team was one thing. However, praying for complete strangers for things that were a really big deal was something completely different and a lot more intimidating. So I put it off…slow obey.
For several months it kept nagging at me until finally I checked with my current team coordinator at church and asked him if he knew if they needed people on the prayer team. The answer: “Funny you should ask! I just got an email this week asking for referrals to the prayer team. They do, in fact, need people.” Fabulous. What a “coincidence” that the email came the exact week I decided to obey. God KNEW (he’s God after all!) that I would delay my obedience to that exact week, and had that email asking for new volunteers not come I probably would have delayed even longer.
Slow obey to the youth group
In another fairly recent instance, I knew the moment God had called me to start volunteering as a small group leader for our youth group at church. Working with kids, even teenagers, is completely out of my comfort zone though. One day at a meeting I sat listening to our youth pastor say that the church was going to need some volunteer youth workers, and I heard a voice inside say, “That’s you. You’re going to help with the youth.” To which my immediate internal response was “NO WAY!!” Then I proceeded to have a little argument in my head with God.
“Over my dead body! There’s no way I’m going to volunteer with teenagers! I don’t even like kids! They get on my nerves. Besides…I’m already volunteering at church. Isn’t that enough? Plus, they said they need people to work on the Wednesday night services. That’s the night I have my women’s small group. I don’t want to give that up. Also, what if it interferes with time with my family? Aren’t I supposed to put my family first? I don’t understand why you would ask ME to do something like this. I’m completely unqualified.”
I quickly dismissed the idea of volunteering with the youth, but God kept bringing that thought back to my mind. Consequently I kept feeling a little guilty too because I KNEW that I was being disobedient to something that God was asking me to do. Finally a year later I decided to quit fighting God and obey what he was calling me to do. Ultimately I knew that nothing good could come from disobeying God.
Honestly, after now 3 years of connecting with my girls and seeing some pretty significant life change, I don’t regret a second of the time I’ve sacrificed. 🙂
Obedience when we don’t want to or don’t understand
As I mentioned before, we often delay obedience because we don’t want to do something that is undesirable, uncomfortable, or inconvenient. Additionally sometimes we put things off for lack of understanding. Unfortunately, none of these excuses fly with God.
We have a great example of obedience amid reluctance and confusion in Luke 5 when Jesus asks Peter (then called Simon) to launch out into deeper water to let down the nets to catch some fish. Peter was skeptical for one because they had already been out all night with no luck. After all, Peter was the expert fisherman by trade, not Jesus. I imagine it would be hard to understand how Jesus might know more about how to catch fish. Peter was also fatigued because they had worked hard all night and really didn’t feel like going back out again. Nevertheless, Peter obeyed even when he didn’t understand and even when he didn’t want to.
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” Luke 5:4-6 (NIV)
Obedience is paramount to understanding
In one of his devotions, Joel Osteen explains that we need to humble ourselves to obey…
“If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to humble yourself and do things you don’t understand. Your promotion is in your humility.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that there is promotion, healing, restoration, and abundance when I walk in humility and obey Your word to me. Help me to humble myself, swallow my pride, and do the thing You’re asking me to do when I don’t understand. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”[1]
In another devotion Rick Warren said obedience first will actually then help us to understand…
“God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.”[2]
Take Some Practical Steps to Stop the Slow Obey and Obey Right Away:
-
First do some self-evaluation. Have you been procrastinating God’s instructions or directives to you? What has God told you to do that you’ve been putting off, delaying, or neglecting?
-
Secondly, realize that slow obey is no obey! Start proclaiming, “I obey right away!” Then do exactly that.
Just admit to yourself that delayed obedience is disobedience, and repent of your rebellion. As soon as God gives you a command or instruction, don’t wait. Do it right away. Don’t put it off. Don’t be like Israel in their disobedience when God described them to Ezekiel as listening with no intention of doing what was said, hearing what was said without acting on it.
“So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!” Ezekiel 33:31-32 (NLT)
-
Obey even when you don’t want to and when you don’t understand.
Respond to God like Peter (Simon) when he chose to immediately obey Jesus about casting the fishing nets out into the deep water…even though he didn’t understand why and even though he didn’t want to because they had already worked hard all night. Then, again, be like Peter as he stepped out of the boat onto stormy waters to do the seemingly impossible thing asked of him.
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”” Luke 5:4-5 (NIV)
““Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:28-29 (NIV)
-
Finally, check out this additional insight, help, and resources on obedience to God:
Obedience to God Demonstrates Love and Trust
Obey God—Build a Firm Foundation for Your Life
Obedience to God–Do you need a leash?
Incremental Obedience…God Leads in Steps NOT Leaps
Obeying God Should Come With a Warning Label
Scriptures Encouraging Us to Obey God
Do you have a slow obey story? Share it with us by leaving a comment below!
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are rude, disrespectful, sarcastic, offensive, or off-topic. By posting on this site you agree to my Comment Policy.
P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy receiving new posts delivered right to your inbox each week! Sign up here.
If you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward! Share this post via the sharing links below. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
- Osteen, Joel. “A New Beginning – Inspiring People to Reach Their Dreams and Live Their Best Life!, Day 18” Bible.com, YouVersion, www.bible.com/reading-plans/17751-a-new-beginning/day/18. ↑
- Warren, Rick. “Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional, Day 322.” Bible.com, YouVersion, www.bible.com/reading-plans/135-rick-warrens-daily-devotional. ↑
