Obedience

I was thinking about the way that we react when God commands us to do something.  Specifically, I was looking at how *I* react when God tells me to do something, especially something I'd really rather not do.   Sometimes I'll question if I really understood God correctly, or I'll figure out some way that I can "kind of" obey, while still doing what I want to do.  Sometimes I ask God for an explanation before I can proceed.  Or I'll just put it in the back of my mind and let the distractions of every day life cover it up.  And I realized that, looking at the Bible, I have plenty of company.  For instance -

"Jonah, get up. Pack a bag and head to Ninevah, I have a big job for you."
"But God, they're nasty people."
"I know, that's why I'm sending you there.  You need to tell them all hell's going to break loose if they don't stop it."
(covering his ears and uttering "lalalalalalala"), "Sorry God, I can't hear you... besides, I've already got plans somewhere else."

All this because he didn't like the people of Ninevah, and he wanted to see them get what he thought they had coming.  A bad storm, a near-drowning, and three days in the belly of a fish got his attention.  And then he went ahead and did what God told him to do, something he should have just done in the first place.

At the other end of the spectrum is Ananias, from Acts 9.

"Ananias, get up.  Head over to Straight Street where Saul from Tarsus is hanging out."
"But God, he's killed a bunch of us, and is on a mission to kill some more of us."
"I know, that's why I'm sending you there."

Never did God assure Ananias that he wouldn't be harmed, only that this is what He wanted him to do.  Ananias got up and went, and did as God told him.  He didn't pretend not to hear, or find an excuse to throw obedience out the window.  And look at what happened.  We got the Apostle Paul and a good chunk of the New Testament.

And Ananias didn't have to learn the hard way.