Obedience

[Coaching Lesson #6 from our Serving Leadership Development Program—Developing Trusting Relationships, Phase 2]

Leaders are often tempted to compromise their principles and values in order to achieve success. This is true even for Christian leaders.

Christian leaders' commitment to God should be such that they will obey Him no matter what they are offered to compromise. Obedience is the true test of our complete trust in God.
 

King Saul’s Disobedience (1 Samuel 15:1-23)

Instead of obeying God’s command to completely destroy the Amalekites, King Saul spared their king and the best of their livestock to bring home “spoils” of war.

When Samuel confronted Saul about his disobedience, Saul rationalized his sin by saying that he had saved the best to sacrifice to the Lord. Saul failed to understand that partial obedience is actually no obedience at all.

Saul’s disobedience resulted in a loss of leadership credibility; God rejected him as king over Israel.
 

The Importance of Obeying God

What do the following scriptures tell us about the importance of obeying God?

• Deuteronomy 5:33 
• Psalm 128:1
• 2 Corinthians 9:13
• James 1:22-25

Discussion Questions:

1. Obedience to God is often costly to Christian leaders. What are some of the ways that we can pay a costly price for obeying God?
2. What are some of the ways that Christians rationalize their disobedience today?
3. How does our obedience demonstrate our love for God?
4. What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned about obedience from this lesson?