Obedience requires movement

Better remain silent, better not even think, if you are not prepared to act. (Annie Besant)

“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols." (I Samuel 15:22-23)

We can remain silent, refusing to take action when we know it is necessary, but what does that gain us? If you haven't figured that one out yet, let me just let you in on a little secret - it will get you another 'go round' in the same muddy mire until you do act! Inaction may not be out and out rebellion, but it certainly isn't obedience, is it? If we want to live lives that please God, we will act when he asks us to act, if not with immediacy, at least in rather short order.

Sometimes inaction is just outright rebellion, though. We know how to act, see the need to act, and still don't do what we know is right. It is stubbornness that keeps us from obedience a lot of the time. We know our actions, or inactions, will not bring honor to God, yet we refuse to act. God's kids are called to live 'ready lives'. We are told to be 'ready' for whatever God asks, even when it is harder than we want it to be, goes against the desires of our prideful will, or seems a little 'out there' on occasion.

The more we desire to please God, the more he may ask us to do something that we didn't think we'd ever be doing. We may not have seen ourselves feeding the homeless, but when we see their need, feel the intense tug in our spirit, ignoring that 'tug' is going to get us an even bigger 'tug' than the first one. The move of God in our lives cannot be ignored. We must respond to it, even when we don't feel like it, or it seems 'out there' a bit. 

Obedience is better than sacrifice, but it may require a bit of sacrifice on our part. The sacrifice? We lay down our comfort, and sometimes even our own desires, and move into what he desires of us. To remain silent when he calls for action is truly a treacherous road for us to travel. God will make it clear over and over again that we aren't on the 'right road', so if we see the warning signs to 'submit' to his will, we had best do it! Just sayin!