On Being Obedient

Most days, I try to spend some time in the mornings (before Elle wakes up) with the daily readings, and I usually read the reflections at The Word Among Us online. They are very relevant reflections on the Scriptures, and I always seem to get something out of it, but, as a mom, yesterday’s reflection really spoke to me. So, I thought I’d share it will all 3 of you who read this on a regular basis! I won’t go into too much detail, but the first reading was from Samuel and focused on how King Saul had “improved” on God’s command to him on how to defeat the Amalekites. He did all seemingly good things, such as taking the enemy king hostage, rather than killing him, and offering the captured livestock as sacrifices, rather than killing them; however, this is not what God commanded of him. As Samuel said, “Obedience is better than sacrifice,” (1 Samuel 15:22).

What a great lesson! There are so many times, as a mother, that I do “good”, sacrificial things, but at a detriment to my spiritual life. Maybe it’s cleaning the house first thing in the morning, rather than having a good prayer time, or doing something nice for someone else but neglecting to do something for my family. Sure, I’m doing “good” things, and often, they are sacrifices—I don’t really like cleaning my house, but doesn’t it need to be cleaned? Isn’t that part of my role as a stay-at-home mom and wife? Shouldn’t I always be willing to help others? Of course! But, it’s so easy to get caught up doing all these things that need to be done to keep things running smoothly, that I forget to ask how/what God wants me to do. Even more than sacrificing for my family or others, He’s calling me to be obedient to Him. And as a mom, that’s often a hard thing to remember!