Compliance: A tendency to yield readily to others, esp. in a weak or subservient way. (http://www.dictionary.com/)
I recall years ago floating in the swimming pool at my parents' home as I was discussing some major life decisions with my Mom. She said something to me I have never forgotten. "Jennifer, " she said, "life is all about trade-offs. You are always going to have to give up something to get something else you want. It's all a trade-off."
Those words are more pertinent today than they were 10 years ago. I am still making major life decisions, just like you are. Things can get complicated when all you want is the true will of God for your life and all around you there are voices hammering you with what they want for your life. Sometimes they are voices and influences from inside you (your flesh will drive you nuts if you let it...) but sometimes what you have to contend with are people who truly love you and want good things for you, yet they don't really understand what God has called you into.
In Matthew 16, Jesus faced this same scenario. He is teaching a group of unbelieving believers-religious people greatly lacking in true faith in God. They wanted a sign. "Show us who you really are!" they were saying. The actuality of the situation was it wouldn't have mattered what Jesus showed them (if He had chosen to show them a sign-which He did not). He refused to jump through hoops for these men, knowing their hearts were hardened against Him already. He would not comply with their wishes. He leaves them with this statement, "The only sign I will give you is the sign of the prophet Jonah." He knew He was going to die, be raised up and empower a generation who would preach to the entire world. In His mind that was the only sign worth giving to these religious bigots.
Christ then warns His followers, "Don't get polluted by the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." He wanted them to understand that the rigid standards and letter of the law these men promoted was sin. The religious people were full of sin! Can you imagine the uproar He caused when He said things like that? These were the holiest people of their day! Yet their 'every jot and tittle' mentality kept people from being truly free and encumbered them with more rules and regulations that they would never be able to meet. Jesus detested that. He had come to set people free-free to live, love and thrive IN HIM. He couldn't allow His followers to fall into religious morass that their prerequisites and checklists called for. He wanted them to stay free from that poison.
Then a funny thing happens. Jesus starts asking them, "Do you know who the Son of Man truly is?" They'd followed Him daily for nearly 3 years. They'd shared meals, slept under the stars, fought devils and hellacious storms side-by-side, and He asks them "What are people saying to you about me?" Here's a nugget: He didn't ask them that for HIS benefit, He asked them to see if they understood who He was . He was gauging the level of their intimacy with Him. Had they gotten it yet what His mission was, what He was calling them to?
Peter pipes up, "You're the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Wow! Brother Peter had quite a revelation! I'm sure Jesus smiled at this burst of truth being so openly expressed! Peter got it right! In His joy at the proclamation, Jesus begins to then tell these men and women who they were! He says, "Nobody could have told you this except My Father, this is too far beyond your human understanding. So, Peter, you rock of Gibraltar," (Jesus used Peters' name to help him understand what his role was in the leadership of this group) "You will be a key player in building My Kingdom here in the earth. Nothing that rears its head at you will be able to defeat you, or these with you. You've been granted royal, holy authority not only in the earth realm, but the spirit realm as well." Then Jesus says, "Keep what you know about me to yourself." Jesus knew there were people who watched Him closely who would never accept the truth about who He really was. They couldn't handle the truth.
Jesus begins to tell these folks what all being the Messiah was going to entail; the good,the bad and the ugly. He starts spouting off about suffering and painful death and having His reputation trashed by the religious leaders and suddenly, Peter pipes in again, "That's not ever going to happen to you, Lord! You're the Messiah! Put a stop to it!" And Jesus dresses him down on the spot, "Shut up and step off, Satan! Don't you lay that trap for me to fall into!" He says, "What you see you see with human eyes, not from God's broad perspective! God has a bigger, greater plan!" His impassioned rebuke sets up a powerful lesson in non-compliance.
Now, before I go here, I want to say this. I am not advocating rebellion. I'm not a rebel. I'm a free spirit (thank you, Jesus) but I am not a rebel. My heart is God's, my will is God's. I want God's will operating at 100% as much as possible in my life. I don't belong to me, I belong to Him and I do whatever He says do. Let me get that out there before I proceed.
What Jesus says here in Matthew 16 is just craziness to most people. He says, "If you want what I've prepared for you, then the first thing you have to do is put aside your own ideas of personal success. Then you have to choose to carry the load, the responsibility I place on you." Each of us has a different load to carry. You can't despise your brother because his load is not like yours! Then Jesus tells them, "Follow me." He has just told them about the ending of His life, and the glorious resurrection that will follow. Can you imagine what they are thinking? Probably something along the lines of, "I don't want to die! Even if I get to live again, I really don't want to have to die! Can I just have the glory and not the pain?"
Then He continues, "If you start exercising self-preservation, you will never really live. But if you give your life to me with reckless abandon and complete trust in me, you will live a life people only dream about. You may choose to stick to the pattern of this world's definition of success, but you will lose your God-given identity in the process. Is it worth it? Is anything worth more to you than being the person I created you to be?"
In my mind's eye, Jesus was looking right at Peter-the Rock-and even though He knew Peter's toughest days lay ahead, He knew ultimately Peter would choose to be The Rock God had intended him to be. He would step into the name he had been called by and become the glue that held the scattered disciples and churches together in those early days.
So what does all this have to do with non-compliance? There are all kinds of voices singing their songs to you, wanting you to join in with them. God has a song for you that only you can sing. You get the sheet music when you discover who you really are in Him. You can only know who you are when you know who HE is! Discovering that can bring with it stark realities you would just as soon not acknowledge: you might get killed, you might have to suffer at the hands of the religious, your reputation and credibility might be smeared because you won't play their games. But it's YOUR SONG, written FOR YOU BY HIM.
Jesus wanted the disciples to know what being in him was not the easiest path to follow-there are much more enjoyable roads to travel down-but the trade-off would be living life to its fullest and being fulfilled in Him or constantly missing the mark the world sets before you. Frustration or fulfillment? God's purposes or man's plans?
Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, "There is path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." (NLT 14:12) Jesus knew His path from the beginning of time, and your path was established then, too. We seek God to find that individual, God-ordained path for our lives. We only start getting into trouble when we become distracted by the voices within and around us. Not everyone wants you to walk into the destiny God has for you. Peter did not want Jesus to fulfil what God had ordained for Him, because he knew that if Jesus was going to go through such suffering it would be required of him as well. That was why he was so roundly rebuked by the Lord!
There are people in your life who do not want you to walk into your destiny because they are connected to you, and they know if you meet the call of God for you they will have to make adjustments to their walk as well. Be bold and courageous, Beloved. The walk ahead is not for the faint of heart. But what you choose to lay down for His call will be worth it. Finding yourself in Him is always going to be worth it!
My prayer is that you will be full of the Holy Spirit, which will empower you and equip you to walk out the thing you've been called to. It's okay to refuse to comply sometimes-if the Spirit leads you, you will know when to stand firm, and when to yield. Keep in touch with Him, He is the Ultimate Navigator!
Jennifer Barnes/Uplift! Editor
