When It’s Out of Your Control

Raising a teenager means letting go of control, and learning obedience to God’s will. My son was recently accepted into an elite high school that specializes in STEM. My husband and I were ecstatic about his acceptance. He has been talking about going since he was in sixth grade. This was his one chance to apply, and he would finish his last two years at this school.

Parenting Decisions

Mama’s disclaimer – this school is over an hour away from our home and it is essentially a boarding school. My mama heart was at odds, it’s a great opportunity, but I wasn’t ready to part with my baby boy either. (I know it’s inevitable but at 15?!). There were some hard decisions to make. My husband and I didn’t want to affect his decision with our own feelings, or sway him one way or another, and we ultimately told him that it was completely his decision. The only advice I could give him was that I would go before the Lord with this and see where He’s leading.

Questions and Feelings Arise

In this situation, I started asking myself a lot of questions including whether we are being obedient to God and His Word when we take matters into our own hands? Am I listening to God, or am I making up my mind before I’ve even given Him a chance to respond to my prayers? Are we seeking counsel for those decisions or are we simply saying that’s what God told me, because that’s what we wanted? Am I asking others to pray with me before I make those decisions?

Hannah

I had a lot of questions and a whole lot of feelings. I was able to sit down one day reflecting on these questions and our obedience to God. Obedience is defined as “an act or instance of obeying” according to Merriam-Webster. In the Bible, we find a devoted Mom, Hannah. Hannah prayed earnestly for her son, Samuel.
She was accused of being drunk because of the anguish that she experienced as she prayed for a son.

Hannah made a vow in 1 Samuel 1:11, “‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” (1 Samuel 1:11 NIV).

When Hannah’s prayers were answered (God remembered!) she upheld her vow. She was obedient to the Lord. 

Hannah’s Obedience was Rewarded

It’s easy to fall into the slippery slope of having prayers answered but not upholding your end of the deal. Instead thinking that it doesn’t matter or that you’ll do something else to be obedient to Christ. When we don’t obey the Lord and His calling for us, we are sinning. It may not seem that way or appear that way, but it is. 

Continuing in 1 Samuel we meet Samuel and see where he was obedient to the Lord and his mother.

Due to Hannah’s obedience in upholding her part of the deal and committing her son back to the Lord, she was blessed. “Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, ‘May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.’ Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:20-21 NIV).  Samuel was blessed for Hannah’s obedience and Hannah and her husband Elkanah were blessed with more children for their obedience.

God rewards those who are obedient to Him.

Samuel “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.” (1 Samuel 2:26 NIV). Hannah’s prayer resulted in her obedience to Samuel’s blessings. Sometimes when we are obedient we don’t see the results on this side of heaven. But one day we will know the results. Being obedient isn’t always easy, I am sure that Hannah struggled with whether or not she should follow through in obedience. Look at the abundance of blessings that her obedience reaped for her and her family.

Still Trusting the Process

My son hasn’t officially made his decision. I’m hopeful that he will listen to where God’s calling Him. I want to be obedient in my own decisions, so I’ve started asking God more without a prefilled answer for Him. The prayers have gone, “Lord, lead me to where you want me, I want to be obedient to You and your will for my life.” 

It’s not always easy to be obedient especially when the obedience could rearrange our plans, or inconvenience us but when we are obedient we are rewarded. The next time obedience is hard, remember the rewards that Hannah and Samuel both reaped.

Reflections

What decision are you facing where you need God’s guidance? 

How can I actively pray for you? 

Verses to Help You in being Obedient 

“Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.”

Deuteronomy 11:1 NIV

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—

 ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”

Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”

Revelations 14:12

Releasing to God Series

I invite you to a new series I’m in the process of developing. The “Releasing to God” series focuses on the struggles that we are facing and turning them over to God. This post sparked this idea and I hope that if you have a story to tell, you’d prayerfully consider sharing your story as a guest blogger. You can find out more here.

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