Obedience. So Little Fun. Still Required.

I am sitting at camp. It is the end of the week...almost. I have handed out instructions all week. Besides being the speaker, I have also been a counselor.

Some of the things I have instructed have been obeyed immediately. Others, not so much. But here is what i have learned.

Obedience is easy...until we are asked to do something we do not want to do.

It's time to eat. It's time to play. It's time to sing your fave song. These are easy.

I need you to listen to me. It's time to sleep. It's time to not retaliate when some other camper decides to make a bad choice. Now obedience is not so easy.

And here is the thing. The campers all say they want to be good. They day they want to be obedient. But truth is found in action.

And the truth is that I am no different than any of these campers. Obedience is easy for me, until I am asked to do something I do not want to do.

Obedience often interrupts the fun we are having.

Pranks seem to go hand in glove at camps. I actually had a group of girl campers cross my path. While I suggested they should return to their cabin, they suggested I not stop their plans.

Camp pranks may be harmless and I may be a scrooge, but the essentials don't change here. Authorities are everywhere in our lives. And for those who follow Christ, obedience to these authorities is expected.

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