DON'T GET DISQUALIFIED
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have
done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which
He commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:13
The
moment we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour, we are I enrolled in a
spiritual race. One of the mandates of any competition is that we play by the
rules or we will be disqualified. This is true in every race, but perhaps
especially so in the spiritual one.
First
Samuel gives us the story of King Saul, a man who did not play by the rules. He
began his reign in victory and ended in humiliating defeat. He lost his
character, power, crown, and in the end, his very life. Based on Saul's life,
let us share some few principles on how not to win the spiritual race.
·
Ignore the Little Things. Saul's
failure was not immediate, but then pride turned into envy, and he ignored what
God had plainly told him to do. Likewise, it is not for us to pick and choose
what parts of the Bible we like and don't like. We are to obey God even in the
smallest matters, because “small” sins turn into big sins. They certainly did
for Saul.
·
Never Take Responsibility for Your
Actions. More than once Saul blamed others for his own bad choices. Saul just
wanted to save face. He forgot that no matter what, God knows the truth.
·
Get Jealous, be Driven by Hatred.
Saul's animosity ultimately destroyed him. He became jealous when God anointed
and began using David, the young shepherd boy. We need to understand God
chooses whom He will choose. Don't let jealousy and hatred make destroy you.
God
has given you, like Saul, potential. He has given you certain talents and
gifts. It is up to us to run the race well and play by the rules. Don't get
disqualified. Don't allow disobedience, pride, jealousy and hatred to destroy
your future. Walk by the Spirit and play by the rule.
Prayer: Ask the Lord to guide and lead you
in all your ways so that you will not be disqualified for the reward.
Scriptural Reading: 1 Samuel 13:1-15
