21 Days to Clarity, Day 14: What is Your Problem?

Thank you to all who are praying for my friends Amy and David and their little girl Charlotte in Haiti. They are cerain Charlotte survived the initial quake, even though her orphanage was destroyed. But they are unable to locate her. They are in the process of trying to obtain a humanitarian visa to allow her to come to the U.S. Please continue to pray for this dire situation and for all the orphans in Haiti.

For Day 13, Click Here

If you were a fly on the wall of my home (or perhaps a mouse stuck to the side of my 15-pound weight), you would hear these words billowing from my mouth from time to time:

“Excuse me, are you having a HEARING problem? Or an OBEDIENCE problem?”

And most likely, those words would be directed at a sweet little boy, oh, maybe 8-years-old, who has his eyes securely fixed upon the television, the wii, or the Nintendo DS.

And without a doubt, those words would be preceded by three or four clearly spoken requests to do something OTHER than fix his eyes upon the television, the wii or the Nintendo DS.

Now, I ask that question, partly out of frustration, partly out of sarcasm, but mostly out of sheer curiosity. I want to know, “Did you seriously not hear me? Or did you hear me and choose to disobey me?”

Because, in the Cooper home “hearing problems” and “obedience problems” are not treated equally. See, I can handle a hearing problem. I understand that in the chaos of everyday Cooper life, not every child is tuned in to what Mom is saying 100% of the time. I understand that when a child is in the middle of a mean game of Star Wars the Clone Wars, it’s imperative that he stay focused and tune out all distractions. I understand that over time, my voice tends to blend in with the other voices in my home. And just because I am talking, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m talking to HIM.

So I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that my child has not only heard the request, but also understood the request. I may raise my voice. I may hold the child’s face in my hands when I speak. I may lob a plush toy at the back of his head. Anything to get his attention.

But an obedience problem? An obedience problem is a different animal. An obedience problem says, “I heard you, I understood you. Yet, I am choosing NOT to do what you’ve requested.”

An obedience problem demands immediate negative consequences.


Because an obedience problem is a heart problem.

I personally believe that God understands our hearing problems. I believe that when we have a sincere desire to recognize and understand His voice in our lives, he will take whatever steps necessary to ensure we’ve heard Him. He may say it again. He may say it more loudly. He may say it differently. He may even lob a plush toy at the backs of our heads.

However, the problem many of us have isn’t a hearing problem at all. It’s an obedience problem. It’s that thing deep inside our hearts that says to God,
“I heard you. But I don’t really like what You said.”

Or

“I’m OK with what you’ve said, but not right now. Let me just finish what I’m doing and then I’ll get to what You want me to do, Lord.”

I would never say this out loud, but I prefer to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. Sometimes I’m hoping if I pretend I didn’t hear Him, that He’ll stop asking. Maybe He’ll say something different. Something better. Something that coincides with my plans and my timing.

While I claim to be “all about” hearing God’s voice, I’m often only “all about” obeying the things that are easy, fun or convenient. That’s not a hearing problem. That’s an obedience problem. And an obedience problem is a heart problem.

So I ask you today, are you having a HEARING problem or an OBEDIENCE problem?

For Day 15, Click Here