Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-10
The first sin ever committed by man is disobedience. Disobedience is as old as the day that man ever had a wife. The consequences of this is the child bearing pains for women, the toiling for man before he would eat and the loss of his life (Genesis 3)
Disobedience comes from the minute that we show disdain to the advices of elders, disobey simple instructions of our parents, rebel against the instructions of our spiritual leaders, etc. At times, our disobedience might not be made open, but expressed inside of us. We can recollect the times that we have said within our mind – “let them say their own, I will do what is in my mind”. Man forget easily that what we do to those above us is exactly how those below us will act towards us.
A child that disobeys his parents will bring up the children that will do worse to him. Likewise in Leadership. In this passage, Jonah was sent to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh, but he ran elsewhere.
If not because of the grace from God that he was given a second chance, his disobedience would have caused him his life.
Unlike in those years of total obedience to parents, the contemporary children tend to be moved by what they see their peers do, and wrongly encouraged to disobey their parents. The will to choose our choices have brought children to disregard what mentoring does in the developmental stages of children.
In the Bible, the obedience of Samuel to the mentoring of Eli helped him greatly to become a successful prophet of God (1 Samuel 1-15). Whereas, the man that he installed as the first King in Israel (Saul) lost his spiritual life and kinship position due to disobedience (1 Samuel 13-15)
It is necessary to posit that disobedience comes as a result of the inability to renew our minds in total submission to the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2).
Whosoever is disobedient might have unconsciously be arrogant, know-it-all fellow, feel more important than others, emboldened by access to power, wealth, fame, etc. Before Saul was anointed as King over Israel, he was dutiful to do the needful before approaching Prophet Samuel (I Samuel 9:7-9). Power that he got, thus, made him to think that he was more than whom he was by disobeyed the instruction of God concerning the Amalekites.
This is the more reason why aspiring leaders, in all fields, must be careful in managing their new heights, for lack of this could lead to their downfall.
May we not be disobedient to the ordinances of God, through Christ our Lord.
Memory Verse :
Proverbs 19:27 (NKJV)
“Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge”.
Baba Aladura, Elder Israel Akinadewo – FCA, PhD
Prelate, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW)/President, Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC)