Arguing with God

But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me . . .” Exodus 6:12

A few years ago, the organization I work for was going through some major changes and I was asked to take on a very small leadership role in my department. Up to that point, I had a strict personal practice about avoiding all administrative duties. I was asked a couple of times and said no a couple of times. Finally, one of the higher-ups in the organization was sent to twist my arm. We really need you to do this. Everyone must do their part. He was a physician and in a position of authority over me and so, I was done arguing. Sigh. Yes. I’ll do it. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but when asked with enough force, I complied.

You’d think that Moses would have felt this way too. When God literally showed up to send him to Egypt to deliver his people from slavery though, Moses repeatedly argued with God. God got a little angry and Moses finally complied. When, Moses asked Pharaoh to let his people go though, Pharaoh said no and made life even harder for the Hebrew slaves. The people turned on Moses who took their complaints to God. God promised once again that he was going to set his people free and told Moses to go back to Pharaoh. What did Moses do? He again argued with God. He’s not going to listen. This is futile. I won’t go.

Can you imagine arguing with God? If he showed up in your life and spoke in an audible voice, would you say no? Most of us would be too overwhelmed by God’s authority to argue with him. We’d weigh the consequences and realize that opposing God would be far worse than just doing whatever it is he asked us to do in the first place.

Why then do I feel free to live my life however I want? I know how God has asked me to live – abandoning my will for his and loving my neighbors as myself. Still, I go my way, doing what I want. I. Me. Mine. This is perhaps, why I avoided my Bible for so many years. If I didn’t read God’s commands daily, then it was easier to dismiss them. The opposite is hopefully true now. Daily, I read God’s word, which makes it much harder to avoid thinking about it. When God speaks, I must do what he says. I’ve lived the life of refusing God’s will. I didn’t much like it. So, daily, if I want to continue experiencing his life, joy, and peace, I must stop arguing with God.