“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
I Samuel 15:22
These convicting words from Samuel to King Saul should pierce our hearts today, just as they did God’s people then. Clearly, our heavenly Father does not define obedience as checking off the boxes and merely going through the motions on the outside.
In God’s economy, motivation matters.
Even in the Old Testament, God’s expectation was not only about keeping the law. Then — and now — God wants our hearts.
The truth above shared by Samuel is confirmed by the writer of Proverbs:
“To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
Proverbs 21:3“The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”
Proverbs 15:8
We take on an “older-brother” mindset when we foolishly believe our outward behavior earns us points with God. This attitude quickly spirals downward to an attitude of entitlement: “God, you owe me.” Older brother (and older sister!) types becomes frustrated, resentful, and even angry when hard things come … because they feel like God did not keep His end of the bargain!
The true follower of God obeys Him from a heart of love, not a transactional (“If I do this, then God, you will do that!”) motivation. We must be on our guard to ensure this mindset does not creep in.
Having the right attitude today is no guarantee that our motives are pure tomorrow. We protect ourselves by staying close to God, abiding in Him and in His Word.
And we can always ask, “God, give me pure motives! Show me where I need a course correction or a motivation adjustment. I pray my acts of obedience are motivated by love and gratefulness. I pray that all I do to obey You is a response to what You have already done for me.”
Let’s stop focusing on sacrificing for God, and choose instead to lovingly obey Him.
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