Oswald Chambers: What My Obedience to God Costs Other People

As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain
man, Simon . . . , and on him they laid the cross
that he might bear it after Jesus —Luke 23:26

If we obey God, it is going to cost other people
more than it costs us, and that is where the pain
begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience
does not cost us anything—it is a delight. But to
those who do not love Him, our obedience does cost
a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that
other people’s plans are upset. They will ridicule
us as if to say, "You call this Christianity?"

We could prevent the suffering, but not if we are
obedient to God. We must let the cost be paid.
When our obedience begins to cost others, our
human pride entrenches itself and we say, "I will
never accept anything from anyone." But we must,
or disobey God. We have no right to think that the
type of relationships we have with others should be
any different from those the Lord Himself had (see
Luke 8:1-3).

A lack of progress in our spiritual life results
when we try to bear all the costs ourselves. And
actually, we cannot. Because we are so involved
in the universal purposes of God, others are
immediately affected by our obedience to Him. Will
we remain faithful in our obedience to God and be
willing to suffer the humiliation of refusing to
be independent? Or will we do just the opposite and
say, "I will not cause other people to suffer"?

We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring
immediate relief to the situation, but it will grieve
our Lord. If, however, we obey God, He will care for
those who have suffered the consequences of our
obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the
consequences with Him.

Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what
consequences you would allow as a condition of your
obedience to Him.--Oswald Chambers

Oswald Chambers: What My Obedience to God Costs
Other People

obedience to God,
Oswald Chambers,
the cost of discipleship,