What My Odedience to God Costs Other People

Here's a few lines from the January 11th entry in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

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"If we obey God it will mean other people's plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it - "You call this Christianity?" We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid."

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"We are so involved in the universal purposes of God that immediately we obey God, others are affected."

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"We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him."

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This has always been a difficult concept in my life. There are times when it is hard to obey God when it affects others. It is often miserable being viewed as responsible for other people's misery or offending others with that obedience.

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Yesterday's entry in My Utmost pertained to the Beatitudes in Mark chapter 5 and this verse in particular connected in my mind to the above quotes:

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"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

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When I find myself in a situation where people are lying about me or believing lies, especially if it is regarding some aspect of obedience to God, I eventually become so overwhelmed with the idea of putting out every little fire that I give up. Usually, the truth wins out and the fruit of a decision to obey God becomes evident. It just takes patience and a willingness to let God be the defender. Sometimes I waver in that patience and really want to go and try to fix things, but I know better.

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In the meantime I try to remember this:

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"Let us not loose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."