After a very messy lunch of sandwiches, crackers, and cookies, I asked my four-year-old son to get the handheld vacuum and suck up the crumbs under his chair. This is a household task he has done plenty of times before and I know he can easily do it to help around the house. As I checked in on him, I heard the vacuum humming but when I looked for him at the kitchen table, he was nowhere to be found. Instead of tackling the crumbs under his lunch spot, he was sucking up our dog’s hair around the house. We have a golden retriever and the tumbleweeds of hair on the floor just about drive me nuts! As I watched my son suck up the endless tumbleweeds, I thought, “That’s not exactly what I asked him to do, but he’s doing a ‘good job’ getting the hair.”
My son spent the next ten minutes going to town, sucking up every hairy fluff in every single corner of the house, grinning ear to ear. I had to remind him a few times, “Hey buddy, don’t forget the crumbs I asked you to get!” As the minutes went by and the house was nearly spotless of dog hair (can I get a hallelujah?!), still, a large pile of crumbs lay scattered beneath his chair. Finally, finally, after my fourth ask, he came over to clean the crumbs. Just before he got to vacuum up the first crumb, can you guess what happened? The battery completely died and not an ounce of juice left. Nonchalantly, he said, “Oh well, the vacuum just needs to recharge!” and went to hook the vacuum to the charging station. The crumbs still present.
Christ Calls Us to Both Listen and Obey.
As happy as I was, the dog hair was spotless from the floor (it was refreshingly nice that I did not have to do that chore), but my son never actually did what I asked him to do. He listened, but he did not obey. As I was thinking about this, the Lord spoke to my heart right then. He said, “Shea, I asked you to pick up the crumbs in your own life. By the time you get to what I have asked, your battery is drained and you do not have the energy for what I have called you to do.” If the Lord ever had a mic-drop moment in my life, it was then. He dropped the mic! I was completely convicted. I had listened, but I had not obeyed.
What crumbs were I avoiding? One big ol’ piling of writing! I’ve always loved writing and had felt a call to use words to encourage others, but I kept making excuses. I knew God asked me to write by picking up my crumbs laptop and start typing. Yet, I was busy doing other things. Other “good” things: playing with the kids, making and taking meals for new moms, getting household chores done, meal prepping, and even exercising. Yes, I actually chose exercising over obeying the Lord’s ask for me to write! By the time I went to write, I was worn out from doing everything and anything but writing—the very thing God had asked me to do. John 15:14 says,
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” (NIV)
Why Is Immediate Obedience Important to God?
Not only does He want us to listen, He is asking for our obedience. When I ask my kids to obey, I want them to do it right away. Not in ten minutes, ten months, or in ten years. Their respect (and healthy fear) towards me is evident when they listen and obey right away. When they disobey, I am hurt and frustrated. My love for them does not change, but it does wound our relationship. When God asks us, His precious children, to do something, it is probably for a good reason. Maybe for our safety? Perhaps it is because He believes our obedience will make us more into the person He has called us to become.
What are the crumbs in your life that God is asking you to pick up—to listen, prioritize, and obey right away?
Life is busy and incredibly distracting. The world is on a constant loop vying for your attention. Your marriage deserves your very best. Of course, the kids need attention, food, rides, interaction and an occasional bath! Neighbors absolutely need a hand. Day jobs, yard work, grocery shopping, and eventually, yes, the dog hair has to be swept up! But…pause and take a minute to ask yourself this: What is God asking me to prioritize in this season? This is not a call for selfishness but a call for obedience.
When we prioritize what God has asked of us, we align our lives with Him.
Obedience Reflects Our Love for God.
Our obedience reflects our love, respect, and healthy fear of a personal and intimate God who only has good plans for us and our lives! I often think we look to doing “good” things because, well, they make us feel good. Sometimes the thing that God has called us to do is hard. It might be easier to keep ourselves busy by doing good. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes obeying God does not feel good. It can make me uncomfortable or stretch me in a way that I do not want to be! Instead of obeying, I tackle my to-do list or look for that “good” deed.
There will always be plenty of “good” things to do: serve on the board, volunteer at the school because no one else will, or host another dinner party. All good things. We can easily find 1,000 reasons, excuses, and justifications as to why we need to be doing this versus that. Yet, is it the thing God has asked of you right now?
Good things can be distracting and doing good can help us justify the distraction. Yet, Jesus said,
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” - John 15:14
You are a friend of Jesus, and your obedience to what He has asked reflects that true friendship. May we all hear the Lord’s desire for our lives and obey right away.
Now, let’s go tackle the crumbs!
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Ron Lach
