The Price of Obedience

Everyone speaks about the price Jesus paid for us when He went to the cross for our salvation, but few speak about the price to pay for moving on with God.

A year or three ago, I had a message for a friend of mine which said, “The Lord wants to know if you will come deeper in Him?” My friends answer surprised me. He said this, “Oh – I don’t know. I will have to think about that one before I answer.” He went on to explain that there is a price to pay for such intimacy with God. Few people realise it and even fewer take that step knowing there is a price to pay. Many just leap in blindly – not realising there even is a price to pay. My friend texted me a week later saying, “I have just said yes to the Lord.” Just 24 short hours later he was in hospital with suspected septicaemia. He is today still paying that price – but he has moved even deeper with the Lord since that time.

Someone much closer to me is paying the price too. Since being obedient to the Lord and moving from Texas to the UK, she has paid a heavy price. She has left most of all she holds dear behind in Texas – her family, and many wonderful friends. There is a growing realisation, too, that she may never again see her family, especially her children and her grand-daughter. She knew this possibility when she made her decision but she stayed obedient to what the Lord was saying to her. I, too, am paying a similar price but for very different reasons. We both knew there was a price but we both wanted to stay obedient to what we knew the Lord was calling us. So we said yes and paid the price

You see, when the Lord asks you to do things for Him, there is always a price to pay. When the enemy hears your conversations with God and realises what is going on now and, more importantly, what will happen in the future, he gets mad at you and does all within his power to stop you – even trying to kill you on occasion.

Does this surprise you? It really shouldn’t. Look at the scriptures and see how the men and women of God have suffered. Just look at the disciples, how they were treated. Beaten, stoned, flayed with whips, crucified, and even boiled in oil – all for their faith in Jesus Christ. Let’s not even consider Job . . . . .

Preachers are so full of rhetoric, aren’t they? There are many good, humble, gentle preachers who do the job properly. Yet there are many more in the “Do as I say not as I do” brigade – whose lives simply don’t live up to their preaching and good sounding ‘advice’. They stand up there and harangue their victims – I mean their congregation – with all sorts of exhortations and promises. They make it all sound so very, very simple. Just follow Jesus, obey God and all will be well in your world. Really ???? It strikes me that many of these preachers have never paid any sort of price at all as they just don’t seem to understand the costs of obedience. You see, I thought that any salesman worth calling a salesman would tell you both the advantages and disadvantages of what he is beguiling you into buying. However, a typical salesman will just persuade you to buy - not in the least concerned that you cannot afford the price. All he wants is another notch on his pole – another ‘sale’.

So next time you hear some out-of-town guy cajoling you into ‘doing greater things for the Lord, simply ask yourself one, maybe two questions. Pray about them hard and long. Be certain of your answers.

Question one – Is the Lord really asking you to do this?

If the answer is “No”, then take it not one step further. Forget it. If, however, the answer is “Yes – this is of the Lord” then answer this question.

Question two – Am I prepared – willing to pay the price for doing this?

These are truly serious questions, and yes you do have a choice. Yet the disciples never considered them more than fleetingly for one moment. Neither did Paul, nor very many others through the millennia. My friend considered them, made his decision, and is now a powerful prophet used by God all around Europe and perhaps further. My wife considered them, albeit briefly, and now we have a love and happiness and growing ministry that neither of us imagined possible. I took the same decisions and found, like all who decide thus, that above all God is faithful and ALL His promises are sure.

Just thinking – that’s all . . . . .