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Be Careful What You Pray For

13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Romans 13:1-5

I had my idea for this week’s Mustard Seed all worked out. It was to be a warm and fuzzy, to be honest, but something happened today that has so impressed me that I feel I should share this instead. I would much rather coax your mouth into a smile with lovable Emma antics, but instead, you’re getting poultry. I hope you understand, I made a promise to God that He was the author of this column and not me. He speaks, I type.

I have been skirting around a decision that I just did not want to make. I just knew that if I ignored it long enough, it would fade away and I could carry on without the discomfort of a hard decision. Some decisions are easy. Some not so much—when it has to do with the heart of your child. My daughter wants to bring home chickens from school to care for over the summer. After checking with East Ridge, I learned that farm animals are prohibited in the city limits. She has grown so attached to these feathered creatures that telling her no is hard to think of. I have been bouncing it around in my head trying to figure out what I should do.

I know you have heard the adage, “be careful what you wish for” the same can be said for what you pray for. When you bring a prayer before the Lord you better be sure you are ready for the answer. I have been praying that God will flush out the sin in me. When I prayed this I was thinking of my financial decisions, prejudices and other assorted vices. Nothing major, I mean I am a pretty good person. Right? However, I never knew it would trickle down to the disappointment of my child.

I shamefully will admit to you I had decided to bend the rules in order to make her happy. I was fully prepared to do it too. Until God brought the answer that I had been praying for front and center.

Now on the big scheme of things this bending of the rules seemed very minor to be truthful. In the end it probably would not have made a hill of beans of a difference if two chickens spent 7 weeks in East Ridge was what I thought.

However, in that moment I saw clearly how this seemingly insignificant slight could have cost a king’s ransom, literally. This decision could have caused damage to my testimony to my children, to the six Buddhist next door and to the woman down the street who has given up hope in God and prayer. It could have been the difference between someone choosing to accept Jesus as savior and continuing a life without him. How am I to speak to others about a life in Christ, about being set apart if I am not willing to do it myself?

I had to choose between making my daughter happy and serving the Lord to the letter. I realized in that instant that I do not have the right to pick and choose how I will serve God. I will either serve Him completely, or I do not serve Him at all. If His word tells me that it is wrong, then it is wrong and I am to uphold His word even in the face of my child, my friend, my co-workers and this world. It was a sobering moment in my walk with Christ. This past two weeks as I have prayed for the discernment and clarity and I must tell you that this prayer has brought to light that I am not completely off the fence. I am guilty of meandering around the seemingly insignificant rules to make my life easier or to please another.

There is no commandment any less than another. They may be in a numerical order, but they are in no way arranged in degrees. When I chose to bend a rule, ignore a commandment or justify my choice in not upholding an edict, I am passing on the idea to my children that my relationship with God and with them is conditional on what is comfortable, popular or easy for me.

I made the decision that I should have made in the beginning. Tonight I will go home and take out the Bible and show my child why I did not condone what had been asked for and then I will ask her to forgive me for not being steadfast and committed to my walk with Christ.

This Mustard Seed is dedicated to my precious friend Bronna, who keeps me straight.