“And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord…” (Acts 10:13-14)
What do we do when we don’t want to do what God has told us to do? That’s a tongue twister, isn’t it? What do we do when God has told us something but we aren’t really sure about it?
This happens often. God calls a man to be a missionary to a foreign field but this man says, “Not so, Lord. I can’t go there. I don’t know what to do. I have never been a missionary before. Besides, I have my family here. I have my friends here. I have a good paying job here. I have indoor plumbing here!”
Or maybe God has called a man to preach and his first response is, “Not so, Lord. I could never preach. Surely you’ve made a mistake. You really meant this call for someone else; someone who knows more Bible than I do; someone who has been to Bible college; someone who isn’t terrified to stand up and speak in front of people.”
Then there are times when God tells us something that, quite frankly, we just don’t want to do. This was the case with Peter. The Jews had no dealing with the Gentiles, yet God was now telling him to go minister to the Gentiles. Peter’s first response was, “Not so, Lord.”
Finally, after repeated attempts to convince him this message was from God, Peter submits himself to God’s Word and obeys.
So, what is it that God may be trying to get you to do? Is there some area in which God has been dealing with you but you keep saying, “Not so, Lord”?
Do like Peter and submit yourself to Him. The happiest Christian is one who responds to Jesus like Samuel did when he said, “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”