For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of
idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected
you as king (1 Samuel 15:23b)
A friend of mine who is a jet pilot once told me that whenever a jet gets
out of control and begins to spin the only thing to do is take your hands
totally off the controls and the plane will right itself. This goes against
our natural inclination to control and manipulate in order to bring things
back under control. It is scary to be out of control. Or is it?
Saul was a man out of control. He was losing control of his kingdom to
David. He was losing the favor of God and the people. It began as
compromises. Now he is given a final test to obey the voice of God fully. He
is instructed to kill the Amalekites completely, but he fails to follow
through. The prophet Samuel delivers a hard word to King Saul, “Because you
have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” Saul
obeyed partially, but not fully. It was partial obedience that led to his
removal as King of Israel and his calling from God. But why did Saul do such
a thing? “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel
15:24). Saul’s fear and insecurity made him more afraid of the people and
what they thought than fearing God. At the core of Saul’s disobedience was
fear of losing control. That fear of losing control led to partial obedience
and the loss of his reign as king.
How many of us are in danger of losing the blessing of God due to partial
obedience? How many of us have such a need to control people and
circumstances that we fail to fully walk in obedience to the voice of God in
our lives? Saul provides a great lesson for us as business people. The need
to over-control those things around us can prevent us from receiving all
that God has for us. Today, take an inventory of your control quotient. Ask
God if you are being fully obedient to what He has called you to do this
day, and avoid being put on the shelf for disobedience. “To obey is better
than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel
15:22).