"Blind" Obedience

Picture this:  you're walking along a beach when you notice a sign that reads "Warning!  Whirlpools--NO SWIMMING!".  What are your options?

Well, you can keep walking on the beach, you can collect seashells, you can have a picnic or sunbathe, you can go home, you could read a book--you could do lots of things!  And, I suppose if you were brave or foolhardy (or both) enough, you could go swimming.  Just because the sign is there doesn't mean it prevents you from being able to go swimming, but it is warning you of a danger you might not be able to see. 

God's laws and commandments work the same way.  He can see every danger that lies in our path and has given us commandments for our safety.  Some people say, "All those commandments restrict and hold you back!  How can you possibly have any fun in life if you can't do all these things?!"  I would humbly submit that those are the same people who would go swimming in our metaphorical whirlpool zone.  Keeping God's commandments isn't about abiding by a restrictive list of dos and don'ts--it's about trusting God enough to know that when He says something is dangerous or ultimately harmful, no matter how "fun" it might seem at the time, He is only looking out for us and trying to protect us from disaster. 

Some people peg believers as "blind followers" or folks who "follow blindly".  I would definitely agree! We are all blind to the dangers that lie in the shadows of our path, and it is only by obedience to God's commandments that we can navigate those obstacles successfully.  I follow because I am blind; I need the all-knowing, all-loving help of my Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, to help me get where I'm going--back to Them!

So the next time someone ridicules you for "blind obedience" say, "You're right!  I obey because I can't see, so I trust Someone who can!"

Much Love, 

Elder Spendlove