Our attic is like a toy warehouse, housing the overflow from the kids' bedrooms and the toy boxes in the living room. As the kids trade out toys from the attic to the downstairs, they often end up lingering (… playing…) and before long the attic is a wreck. One day last week, I sent the two youngest up to fix that. After the job, my four-year-old said "Alan said you would give us dollars to pick up the toys in the attic." She expected to collect. Nice try. Your mess. Your responsibility.
But the more I thought about that, I saw myself. How often do I expect a special blessing, or a reward, or some other validation just for being obedient and doing the things God tells me to do? More often than I'd care to admit. When I value my obedience more than the God I obey, I end up with an inflated, warped view of my own importance. I start to believe my worth to God hinges on my performance, rather than His love.
God does bless and reward obedience.
Obedience does glorify Him.
But it's just my duty.
Does [the master] thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded of him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do." Luke 17:9-10.
Rebecca Burgener says
I catch myself doing the same thing, especially when tithing is concerned. "Won't God honor my obedience by blessing us financially?" We, who have never been forced to send our little children to bed hungry, complain about the mess of bills we made for ourselves like God is supposed to supernaturally clean it up and teach us nothing in the process.