What My Obedience to God Costs Other People

I read this devotional today in My Utmost For His Highest and wept. I am in the Philippines out of obedience to God and I actually have joy in serving Him on the mission field. But I know that at a time like this, it causes pain for Micah. She would like us to be there for her at this time as she prepares for deployment. She has many challenges and I am limited in how I can help her. But I know she loves the Lord and wouldn't have it any other way--even though it hurts.

My Utmost For His Highest, January 11, 2008
As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon . . . , and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus —Luke 23:26

If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything— it is a delight. But to those who do not love Him, our obedience does cost a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset. They will ridicule us as if to say, "You call this Christianity?" We could prevent the suffering, but not if we are obedient to God. We must let the cost be paid.

When our obedience begins to cost others, our human pride entrenches itself and we say, "I will never accept anything from anyone." But we must, or disobey God. We have no right to think that the type of relationships we have with others should be any different from those the Lord Himself had (see Luke 8:1-3).

A lack of progress in our spiritual life results when we try to bear all the costs ourselves. And actually, we cannot. Because we are so involved in the universal purposes of God, others are immediately affected by our obedience to Him. Will we remain faithful in our obedience to God and be willing to suffer the humiliation of refusing to be independent? Or will we do just the opposite and say, "I will not cause other people to suffer"? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but it will grieve our Lord. If, however, we obey God, He will care for those who have suffered the consequences of our obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him.

Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.

More about time

Our situation regarding plans for this year continues to get interesting. We learned that it is possible Micah will not begin her deployment until July. This will have an affect on our furlough plans as well as the plans of several other people. We are at a place right now where we can't even book our flights because we don't know what will be happening and when. We can pray, however, because God has these details and many other events in His hands. The Phillips Translation gives this name to God "The Blessed Controller of All Things". Amen.

He will bring you quietness with His love

Last week we learned from Micah that her training date for deployment has been moved up from March 29 to the 24th.  With the 2 conferences in Manila that Jeff and I are coordinating, it is nearly impossible for us to go home any sooner than March 20. This will give us only 3 days with her and we don't know yet if we'll have any time with her in April.

Recently I was encouraged by the reminder of Ecc 3. The caption in the Holman Bible is "The Mystery of Time" "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven... a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing..." Someone gave to us and Micah a plaque with a verse of Psalm 31:15 in nice calligraphy by her father, John McTaggart Carson in 1932. The plaque says "My Times Are In Thy Hand" and then there is a poem:

I would be quiet, Lord,

Nor tease, nor fret:

Not one small need of mine

Wilt Thou forget!

I am praying for God's direction and perfect timing for all of us.  Sometimes I fret over how many things I have to do in the next couple months and over the fact that I wish I could go to Minnesota earlier to help Micah prepare. But my personal prayer is that I won't fret but fully trust God's perfect time. In my quiet time this morning I was very encouraged by Zephania 3:16-17

16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.

17 The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness [He will renew you] with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy."

With a God who loves me so deeply, I have no need to fret. He will bring me quietness and will renew me with His love.