Stop Bargaining

But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15: 22

My oldest child is eight. And he is getting to the age where he is a pretty good bargainer; for better or worse. Oftentimes I will ask him to do something and if doesn't fit with what he thinks he should be doing he's quick to offer a substitution. Or conversely a 'punishment'; something he is willing to sacrifice instead. Let me give you an example. The other day I needed him to turn off the TV and go clean his room. Now, his room wasn't any dirtier at that time of day than the hour or so before. But he had been planted in front of the TV for a substantial amount of time and he needed a break. And, his room really did need cleaning. He drug his feet, figuratively of course. And attempted to bargain with me.

"Five more minutes. If, I don't do it then I'll won't watch any TV tomorrow." Really? No TV at all, for a whole day? Yes, this was too good to be believable and I wasn't falling for it. So I responded, 'No'. He then proceeded to bargain again, with the same results. Eventually he ended up leaving to go clean his room; unhappy but doing something more productive than staring at a screen. Life would be easier, I thought, if he would just do what I said... the first time.

As I think back on that day and all the other bargaining sessions we have had, I realize that I too attempt to bargain with God. Who, among us hasn't? It seems like sometimes it's easier for us to try to finagle our way out of a situation instead of trusting God and being obedient. But God is not interested in haggling with us on a deal that makes us both happy. Our obedience to God is better anything that we could offer him, especially when the offer is tainted by what we think we should give God in exchange for the privilege of obeying Him, the first time.