The Seed of Quiet Rebellion

June 11th, 2017

It’s the cause of discord and sin, and the result of Biblical rejection – it’s rebellion.

Rebellion is the open resistance to authority that throughout time has birthed nothing but division, destruction, and death. Whether by God or men, rebellion never goes unpunished. The Bible gives many accounts of those who rebelled and faced the terrible consequences. Kingdoms were demolished. Dynasties wiped out. Lives were brutally taken away. Families split apart. Many faced exile… All because of rebellion.

(See 1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 17; 2 Samuel 15-18)

Rebellion can come from an unexpecting place. It is not always a loud uproar of defiance that bursts out of an angry heart. Sometimes, the weed of defiance sprouts from a small seed of bitterness or pride, and if left unmanaged will grow to overtake and choke out every good fruit we may bear. Just like a weed, it’s subtle. It’s slow. It’s quiet.

And it’s the quiet rebellion that can be the most dangerous. It sneaks up on you and turns a once dedicated Christian into a watered-down believer, and then eventually into someone who despises the truth altogether.

Unfortunately for us, we were born into sin and are rebellious by nature. We have to fight everyday to counteract the innate desire to go our own distorted way. That’s where following the example of Paul and “dying daily” comes into play. We have to defeat our flesh and surrender ourselves God’s instruction through His Word. The wonderful antithesis to rebellion is obedience. God proves over and over that obeying His Word brings freedom, victories, peace, joy, and miracles.

(See Genesis 3:5; 1 Kings 17:13-16; 2 Chron. 14:1-6; Exodus 15:26; Joshua 1:6-8)

Pray: “Search every inch of my heart and mind, Lord. If there is any hidden seed rooted in me that could turn into a rebellious spirit, I pray that you would reveal it to me and help me to weed it out. I know that Your ways are flawless, and mine are flawed. I want  to live my best life by following Your perfect will. Help me to defeat my flesh every day so that I can live my life in obedience to your Word.