READ: Numbers 14:1-35
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;” – Matthew 10:37, NIV
Christians love to do good deeds that impress others. Many of these nice-sounding deeds are often clever alternatives to simple obedience.
Obey the Lord and stop doing all sorts of other things that He has not asked you to do. God will not reward you because you did many good things but because you obeyed Him. Many times, obeying God will not bring you honour from men. But why do you seek the praise of men? If you please men you cannot please God.
When people are asked to serve God, they come up with nice-sounding alternatives to the real will of God. Fulfiling family obligations is a common alternative to obeying God. The Bible is littered with instructions on honouring parents, obeying husbands, loving wives, looking after children and respecting the elderly. These Scriptures have been used by many as a perfect excuse for not following the voice of God. The family is important. God is the creator of the family. He will not lead you in a way that will destroy your family.
When the Israelites did not want to obey the Lord, they claimed their children would perish in the desert. Concern for their children was their reason for not following God’s will. This excuse really angered the Lord and He made it clear to them when He punished them in the wilderness.