Waiting for a Sign

I'm a "rule girl". I try to pretend I'm not, but it's true. No one knows this better than my kids, poor things.

Many of my mom rules I've borrowed from a medley of well-intentioned messages I've read, heard or experienced while watching other moms. As I've wised up a bit (or maybe my kids have just worn me down), one rule in particular strikes a chord even after it's been tested by a teenager, middle-schooler and still remains for my three-year-old: Obey first. Ask questions later.

I think I picked this one up from a parenting class, but if I remember correctly, the reason behind it was that many times our children tend to ask "why" out of defiance instead of truly wanting to know the reason behind the instruction.

But guess what I just discovered? There's much more to it than that!

And guess what else I just learned? "My" rule is stepping on my spiritual toes.

How's that for justice?

I was reading about God inviting Moses to join Him in the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt; God promised Moses a sign.

A sign. We love those, don't we?

When we're waiting on a sign from God, the burden's on Him. We can just bask in the peacefulness of spirituality while we patiently wait. As if speaking to us isn't enough?

Hey, Moses was promised a sign, why not me, right?

Oh read the rest of the story....God said, "This will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." (Ex. 3:12)

Wait a minute. The sign came after Moses obeyed.

After? That can't be right.

In a commentary about this by Henry Blackaby, he so wisely stated, "God's affirmation that He had sent Moses would come after Moses obeyed, not before. This is most frequently the case in Scripture. Affirmation comes after obedience."

That sounds a bit like "my" rule! It seems so simple when I hand that rule over to my kids. The interesting thing is that once I instituted that rule in my household, I began to see it not only as a way to deter defiance by delaying the question "why". My new "go-to" rule had lots of benefits.

That rule is a safety net. I remind my children that sometimes when I give them instruction, it's for their well being. If they are about to plunge into physical harm, there's no time to ask why. They have to trust that I know what's best for them, and obey immediately. No questions asked.

And in return, I promise them we can discuss it after the fact. The after-the-fact discussions can be valuable learning experiences.

At other times, the instruction may not keep them from immediate danger, but they may not be emotionally or intellectually mature enough to be capable of understanding my rationale.

This is starting to sound familiar...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (Is. 55:8)

Oh yes, that's where I've heard it before.

Maybe "my" rule isn't mine after all.

Obedience first isn't easy, but I have a feeling my Abba Father knows what He's doing.