Consent (Ordinary Time - Day 31)

 1 Samuel 13:5-18

The Philistine army is getting ready to ambush Saul and the Israelites. Everyone is panicking and running to hide in caves, ravines, and wherever there is cover. Saul's losing his battalion quicker than he can count.

When Samuel first anointed Saul as leader over Israel, Saul agreed to the instructions he was given. One of those instructions was waiting seven days when he arrived at Gilgal to find out what to do next. Samuel would show up, sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings, and worship.

It's day seven, the Philistines are about to come down from the hills and wipe out the Israelites. Samuel's nowhere to be found and Saul decides to take matters into his own hands. He commands his presiding soldiers to bring him the offerings, and he takes it upon himself to perform the roles that Samuel was designated to carry out. Who wouldn't? 

Samuel shows up as soon as Saul finishes with the offerings, and asks Saul, "What the hell are you thinking man? I gave you specific instructions to wait for me. Because of this, God is looking for a replacement for you. You're kingly rule is already falling to pieces."

Samuel leaves because Saul put his hand in the priestly cookie jar. Saul is taking matters into his own hands. He does a head count of his remaining army, and finds there are only six hundred soldiers left.

Saul was given precise instructions on what to do, but in the heat of fear and threat, he takes matters into his own hands. His life is on the line, his army is about to be crushed, their hope fading. Who wouldn't take matters into their own hands?

It would be one thing if he was going into the situation blind. If that was the case, his best judgment would have been the answer. But, he consented to the instructions given him at the time of anointing. In the heat of battle though, he compromised what he agreed to. He broke contract. He started making his own rules.

I've never been in battle. I've never been in the military. However, I've been in situation in which I consented to a set of instructions and breached contract. I took matters into my own hands because I didn't trust the instructions or the instructor. I thought that when the rubber met the road, my way was much better than the way I agreed to.

I once worked for a company that flew workers on helicopters out onto the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the operations the company owned was catering to private aircraft owners. My job was to create an S.O.P., implement in Galveston (where I worked), and work on building the business. Unexpectedly, after I got the ball rolling in Galveston, my supervisor requested that I pack up and move to Louisiana to do the same. He wanted me to replicate what I did in Galveston. So, I packed my bags and flew out to Abbeville, Louisiana. What I walked into was a mess. It was like moving from the Ritz Carlton to Motel 6. After about a week of beginning the new implementations, I was ready to give up.

As I started implementing all the changes, including dress code, I was met with complete opposition. No one wanted to change. No one liked the idea of turning what was known to them into something completely different. I felt like I was alone and without any support, I stuck with it. I was given specific instructions on what to do, but because of the opposition I was facing, I gave up. I sent an email to my instructor explaining why it was a horrible idea to send me there. I was angry and it seeped through the email.

My supervisor called me as soon as he received the email, and we engaged in a screaming match over the telephone. I didn't trust him or his instructions. They weren't going to work. I was in the heat of opposition, and I felt like my way was better. My heart was out of the work by this point. My desires to lead this group in Lousiana were smashed. I lost all confidence in the work, the people, and myself.

There is something to be said about giving a good amount of thought before consenting to anything. I didn't count the cost of opposition and frustration, so I wasn't prepared to carry out what I consented to.

When Samuel told Saul that he would be king of Israel, Saul consented without counting the cost. Could he have said no? Of course he could have. Did he? No. He agreed to it without counting the cost of the terror he would experience as he watched the Philistine army close in on him. He didn't count the cost of waiting for Samuel to show up while the Philistine army surrounded him. He didn't count the cost of the temptation he would face of taking matters into his own hands.

I need to learn from this. I sign up for a lot of things thinking that they'll run perfectly smooth. I don't ever think about the possible conflicts. But I think there's an important lesson here to count the cost before consenting to take on a position or commitment. My experience with this has been nothing to write home about with relationships, jobs, church, and ministries.

My question is: When we sign up for something, do we think about the day when we are going to be alone? Do we think about the day when everything is going to feel like a failure? Do we think about the day when we are going to want to throw it all away and take it into our own hands? If we're honest with ourselves, these days are inevitable. The terror, the threats, the opposition, the inner turmoil - they all come. Are we open to the conflicts that come with commitment?

Today's Action: Make a list of commitments we're currently involved in. Take note of the conflicts in each. Are we staying strong in each of them, knowing that we signed up for the good and the bad?