OBEDIENCE
The PDF of this Lesson...
With a Game (in Various PDFs), the Quiz, and Verses to Memorize
Doing
what you’re told…when you’re told…with the right attitude.
Isn’t it great to have an umbrella when it’s raining? It protects you from getting wet when you walk home from school or from your car to the store. It provides a “safe place” for you to be. Without it you would get very wet and you’d be chilled and uncomfortable.
God has placed an “umbrella” of authority over us to protect us and provide for us. These are people like our parents, teachers, coaches, police officers and government officials. In God’s plan, He has placed these people over us for our good. When they tell us to do something, we need to do it right away.
There is an order to this list. The highest “person” we should obey would be God. We should always do what He says. Then next in line would be your parents. The Bible tells children to obey their parents for this is right. After God and your parents would come government officials, like the president, police officers, teachers and coaches.
When we listen to what they say and do as we are told, then everyone benefits. When we obey our parents, there is peace in our homes. Disobeying brings conflict and fighting. When we obey the laws of our land, made by officials and enforced by police officers, then we have safety and peace in our towns. When we obey our teachers, then we will learn more and do better in school. Obeying what a coach tells us makes us a better player and will help our team.
DOING WHAT YOU’RE TOLD
When people in authority over us tell us what to do, we need first of all to LISTEN. If we aren’t paying attention, we won’t know what to do. Maybe one day you were busying watching cartoons on TV and your mom told you to get ready for supper. Because your attention was on the TV, you didn’t hear what she said, so you didn’t do anything and then you got in trouble for disobeying.
Second, if you didn’t hear what to do or you don’t understand exactly what you were supposed to do, then you need to ASK. Doing the wrong thing might cause someone to get hurt or make a problem that would have to be fixed.
Thirdly, we SHOULDN’T ARGUE over what we are told to do. Those over us usually don’t ask us to do something unless it has a reason. It might be to teach us responsibility or to keep us safe. It might be for the benefit of our family, school, community or team.
How do we know what God wants us to do? We find that in the Bible. As we read it each day we should ask God to show us what He wants us to do. God promises to bless us when we obey His Word.
WHEN YOU’RE TOLD
Billy got a new puppy for Christmas. He named him Prince. He took very good care of it, feeding it and brushing it every day. He also started teaching it to obey. He began by teaching Prince to beg. Then he taught him to roll over and “play dead”. They went out into the back yard and Prince learned to fetch a ball. The hardest command to learn was “stay”.
Billy would make Prince sit and then he would say “stay”. Slowly he would walk away from Prince. At first Prince never stayed. He loved Billy so much that he wanted to be right next to him, but Billy didn’t give up. He knew how important the command was, so he kept on trying. Finally, Prince began to stay for a short time and then longer until Billy could trust him completely.
It’s a good thing too because one day while Billy and Prince were sitting on the porch, a cat ran across the street. Prince started running after it, but Billy saw a big truck coming. He shouted “stay” to Prince and the dog immediately stopped where he was, at the curb, just as the truck drove by. If he hadn’t stopped, he would have been run over by the truck. (The cat made it safely to the other side).
It is important to obey right away. What if it had been you running towards the road and your mom called out “stop”. Would you have done it right away? To delay is to disobey. When your parents say that it’s time for bed and you don’t go until the third time, they tell you, it is disobeying. Obey when you are told, not a minute later.
WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Sometimes we obey, but reluctantly. We complain as we obey. This is displeasing to the Lord. He says to do all things without complaining. When we complain, it is rebellion. “I’ll do this because I have to. If I don’t, I’ll get in trouble.”
Having the right attitude does several things: 1) It pleases God. 2) It shows that we love and appreciate those in authority over us. We recognize that God has placed them over us for our good. 3) It makes obedience much more fun.
God will give you many opportunities to obey Him and others today. Will you do what you’re told, when you’re told, with a right attitude? Only then can you enjoy the benefits of the “umbrella” that God has placed over you.
Curriculum by: Mark Redka (CBM)