“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
- Acts 5:28-29

Who will we obey?

In today’s passage, the religious leaders give the apostles strict orders to stop talking about Jesus. They were afraid that all of this Jesus-teaching would incite riots and destabilize their city. They wanted to keep things orderly and under control.

But the apostles refused. They kept on talking about Jesus, saying: “We must obey God rather than human beings!”

On the surface, this principle is pretty simple. Of course we’d obey God rather than human beings! God made the cosmos and rescued us from our sins and knows exactly what will be best for us … of course we’ll obey him.

But in practice it gets more complicated.

You might think you know what God wants you to do, but aren’t 100% sure. Your head and heart are pulling against each other. You read things in the Bible that seem to point in opposite directions. You ask for advice and the advisors disagree with each other (or give you advice that’s kooky). What do you do?

Take time to cultivate an ear for the voice of the Lord long before you’re in the decisive moment. Read scripture often and broadly. Commit passages to memory. Listen and listen and listen.

This is what the apostles did. They spent a lifetime hearing the scripture. And, more than that, they had spent time with Jesus. They knew him and knew what he wanted. They knew his goals and values. They knew his heart. That allowed them to obey God rather than human beings.

Where are you wrestling with the decision to obey God rather than human beings? What makes that decision difficult for you?

If you’re facing a difficult decision, consider setting aside several hours to pray and read the scriptures. Ask God to give you guidance. Tell him you want to obey him and will if he’ll make his will for you clear. Watch what he does.