"GOD RATHER THAN MEN!"

Acts 5:29                   (ESV)

"But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey "GOD RATHER THAN MEN"."

Many years ago one of my most enjoyable activities was playing softball.  My large stature (6'6" 230lbs) allowed me to hit the softball a long way, a practice that I performed frequently.  When my children came along, I began curtailing my softball playing as I started coaching and being a daddy, something I found tremendously more rewarding!

In one of the softball tournaments I was playing in near the end of my career, my children were playing outside of the fields where we were having games.  One of my sons was throwing dirt into the air and letting it come down on his body.  Another member of the team told him to stop doing that, to which my son said, "I don't have to listen to you!  I only have to listen to "MY DADDY"!  Of course, my son stopped throwing dirt and we all laugh about it to this day.  

The lesson I failed to SEE until recently was, as Believers, we have a HEAVENLY FATHER WHO we should have a similar mindset as my son had for me that day.   No matter how "this world" attempts to SEE things through their lenses, we should follow GOD's leadership in ALL we do.  Allowing the "great deceiver" to influence our decisions on following JESUS is akin to saying that we really don't believe HE is WHO HE says HE is!  

Since we are bought by the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST and we are sealed by HIS HOLY SPIRIT (Ephesians 1:13), why don't I live my life doing EXACTLY what HIS direction in my life leads me to do?  Do I live as though I MUST obey "GOD RATHER THAN MEN", or do I do whatever I think is best and rely on HIS mercy and grace to forgive me?  O HOLY GOD, I beg of YOU to cause me to desire to follow "GOD RATHER THAN MEN" in all I do!!!