Or Not…

Have you ever been trying to do something and needed help? Or tried to move your way through a crowd and had to say “excuse me” but no one moved?

This happened to me recently, and I must admit, it bothered me. I was in a store with my wife, and I was trying to maneuver my way through an aisle and a swarm of people.

Like many of you, I said “excuse me” to the other shoppers hoping to catch a sliver of an opening so I could make my way through the store. But to no avail!

This one particular individual continued right on talking and standing directly in my way. Now, to give this person the benefit of the doubt, I may not have been heard.

However, I doubt that. As this person ignored me and blocked my path I let out a little comment, “Or not…”

I suspect many of you have been in a similar position before.

However, this kind of reaction can speak to a person’s character – and in this case not a fine reflection for me.

I recently read an article that outlined nine tests you can give yourself to discern your character.

One of the tests was to think about your response when someone takes “your” parking spot. I believe my own situation is similar. Instead of kindly repeating myself and working my through the mass, I sunk to making a comment.

I honestly wanted them to hear me. I wanted them to know I was frustrated and inconvenienced by them.

This whole experience makes me wonder how God feels with us sometimes. Not that He is making snide comments about us or to us, but rather how He feels when He is talking to us and we completely ignore Him.

Often times I believe God is telling us what to do or answering our questions and we completely ignore Him, tune Him out, and do not pay attention to Him. At times we do not even recognize His voice. We know something is being said, but we are not sure what it means or who is saying it.

Jesus reminds us in John chapter 10 verses 14 through 16,

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as my Father knows me and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

God’s people know Him. They recognize His voice and are united with other believers under Jesus, the Great Shepherd.

As we go through this life here on Earth let us not stand in God’s way ignoring His voice.

Let us not make snide comments about other people in frustration. Let us instead listen to God’s voice, embrace it, and obey it.

We all will fall short at times, like I did in the store that day, but Jesus is our Shepherd and He gives us grace. Let us embrace that grace and seek to follow Him.

The choice is ours: To listen and obey, or not...

Anyway, I was just thinking…