Disobedience has a Price

When I was a teenager, my boyfriend had a motorcycle. My mother always warned me not to ride on that motorcycle. She said it was too dangerous. But you know how teenagers can be.

One day when my boyfriend was working on his motorcycle in his garage, I sat on the motorcycle. The engine was on while I was sitting on it. When I reached my leg down to get off the motorcycle, I was shocked to find I couldn’t take my leg away. It turns out my left calf stuck to the exhaust pipe. So as my boyfriend and I tried to peel my leg off of the pipe, I realized I was in big trouble. I didn’t heed my mother’s warning!

Mother Said	What I Did	Consequences
Don’t ride a motorcycle	Sat on the motorcycle	Burned my leg Disappointed my mother

What lesson did I learn? My mother was right about motorcycles been dangerous, even just sitting on them! The burned on my leg would no doubt leave a lasting scar!

Aside from the disappointment my mother must have felt, she knew what to do. Every day we would scrub the dead skin away from the wound. Although it was incredibly painful, after several weeks of this the wound eventually healed. And thanks to my mom, I have no trace of the burn on my left leg.

As I pondered this situation from my past I started to realize there is a spiritual lesson in this. Our spiritual growth is much like this story of disobedience.

God tells us what to do. We do the opposite. We pay the consequences. Yet God still pursues us, works with us, and cleanses us from all on righteousness so there will be no trace of our sinful action remaining when he’s through with us.

Disobedience has a price. Sometimes righting the wrong is painful. But it’s necessary. God calls us to persevere so our character develops. God brings forth good, even from our disobedience. After we have suffered a while, we begin to recognize God was right causing us to yearn for Him. Perhaps faced with their next opportunity to disobey will remember what we went through before and choose to walk in the Spirit rather than satisfy our sinful nature.

What has God told you to do lately? Do you find yourself disobeying God? Remember there are consequences to our disobedience. Even if we disobey, God is good and will help us learn the lessons we should.

Lord thank you for your leading us. Thank you that even in our disobedience you have a way of bringing good out of it. Help us to desire you. Enable us to obey you the first time rather than suffering the consequence for our disobedience. If we can only learn the lesson through disobedience then so be it Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.

© Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions and has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word. For more devotions, bible studies and a recommended book store, visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com today