We are born into a sin-filled world.  And disobedience started way back in the Garden of Eden when Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the Tree of Life, which was forbidden.  Since then we've lived with rebellion in our hearts and have the natural inclination to say "no" to God and those in authority over us.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."  But when we have faith in Jesus, He gives us a new heart and a new attitude, and walking daily in the Spirit allows us to grow in purity, not wickedness!  We gain a new nature when we are "born again!"  But the sinfulness of the world can come calling, and as Christians we must still overcome the desire to be disobedient.  It takes a dying to self in order to be made alive in Christ! 

One of the best "living examples" that God brings into our lives to teach us obedience is with our parents.  If you are really honest with yourself, you will be able to recall many instances when you felt the urge to disobey your mom or your dad.  How many times have you promised to clean your room, and then didn't do it?  Perhaps you've even been outright insistent upon not doing what you've been asked.  This is disobedience, and disobedience grieves the heart of God.  

Elsie is a great role model for us.  She did her best to make right choices that honored God and her father.  But sometimes Elsie made mistakes, just like we can: 

"I didn't mean to disobey, Papa. I forgot you had forbidden me to go into the meadow."

"That is no excuse, no excuse at all. If your memory is so poor, I must find a way to strengthen it," he said.

He paused for a moment, looking at his sobbing, trembling child, then slightly softening his tone, he asked for an explanation.

"Tell me the whole story," he said, "so I may understand how to punish you."

Elsie gave him all the details of what had happened, and when he perceived that she really had forgotten and that her confession had been entirely voluntary, he relented. "Well, Daughter, I won't be very hard on you this time," he said calmly. "You seem very penitent, and you've made a full confession. But you must obey me, or next time you won't escape so easily. I do not take forgetfulness as an excuse. Now, go to Aunt Chloe and tell her to put you to bed immediately."

"But it's only the middle of the afternoon," she said.

"And that is your punishment. You are to stay in bed till tomorrow morning."

"But what will Lucy and Herbert think when they return and I'm not here?"

"You should have thought of that before you disobeyed," he said, a bit of gravity coming back into his voice. "Tell Chloe that you may have bread or crackers for dinner, but nothing more."

Elsie looked into his face. She seemed to want to speak but was afraid.

"Do you have something else to say?" he asked encouragingly.

"Yes, Papa. I'm so sorry for what I did. Will you forgive me, Papa? I won't be able to sleep if you're still angry with me."

Her sadness touched him more than he expected, and Horace said gently, "I do forgive you, Elsie. I am not at all angry with you now, so you can sleep in peace. Now good night, my child." And he kissed her lightly on her brow.

"Good night, Papa," she said with a little smile, "and I hope I'll never be so naughty again."

With his forgiveness, she went to her punishment. But once again, she found comfort in the pages of her worn Bible. She searched for some time before finding the verse she wanted in the twelfth chapter of Hebrews: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Elsie recited the verse over and over to herself until she felt her hope renewed.     

From Elsie's Endless Wait, chapter 4 

Elsie disobeyed by going into the meadow when she was forbidden to do so.  But did you notice how she responded to her angry father?  Elsie immediately confessed her wrongdoing and asked for forgiveness.  Elsie's honesty softened her father's heart and he accepted her apology.  Elsie was able to go to bed without wondering if her father was mad at her.  She accepted her punishment without getting into a huge fight with her dad.  When she was in her room, Elsie sought additional comfort from the pages of her worn Bible.  Elsie read the verse over and over until she felt her hope renewed. 

Obedience is your protection from harm! 

We simply must obey our parents.  They have our best interests in mind.  Sometimes they forbid you to do something because they are trying to protect you.  Elsie learned this the hard way.  Her father had a really good reason why he didn't want her to go into the meadow.  On the surface it may seem like a silly command, but read what happened the next day when Elsie came out of her room:

She rose early the next day and had learned all her lessons before breakfast. When she came down the stairs, she could see through the open front door that her father and several of the field hands were standing outside, gathered around some object on the ground.

"Come here, Elsie," her father said when she walked out onto the portico steps. He held out his hand, and she ran to him. He led her a few steps forward and pointed down. A large rattlesnake lay almost at their feet. The snake didn't seem to move, but it was ferocious looking nonetheless.

Elsie immediately jumped back and screamed, "Oh, Papa!"

"It's dead," he said, "and can't hurt you now. The men killed it in the meadow. Do you understand now why I forbade you to go there?"

Squeezing his hand tightly as she realized the danger, Elsie almost whispered, "I do, Papa. I might have lost my life by disobeying. Oh, how good God was to protect me."

Gently, her father said, "After this, I hope you always know that I have good reasons for my commands, even though I may not explain them to you."

"Yes, sir, I think I will," she said, still staring at the dead snake and imagining the possible consequences of her misbehavior.                         

From Elsie's Endless Wait, chapter 4

Elsie's disobedience could have cost her her life because she could have been bitten by a poisonous snake!  We need to understand that obedience is important, even when we don't understand why our parents forbid us to do something.  As Elsie learned, obeying our parents protects us from unwanted harm. 

It's honoring to God when we obey our parents.

Let's look at one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:12.  It says, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."  One of the main ways we can honor our parents is by obeying them.  This is the only commandment that comes with a promise!  So we know that it was important to God that children honor and obey their parents.  When we honor and obey our parents, we are also honoring God!  "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20).   <>

Jesus put it quite simply when he spoke to his disciples in John 14.  In verse 15, he says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  We also read in Colossians 3:22-24: 

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  This is key! We must remember that in everything we do, we are doing it for the Lord first and foremost!  This makes the task of obedience so much easier.  Looking at it this way makes your heart more willing to submit to people, because you are ultimately doing it for the Lord, not for man!  

An unwillingness to obey is a sign of rebellion

Discipline comes from God

Finally, we need to see that discipline comes from God.  When those in authority ask us to do something, we must obey.  Read this final passage of scripture, taken from Hebrews 12: 7-12, and take heart to the truths for your life. 

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.  'Make level paths for your feet,' so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." 

Obeying when you don't want to is a form of discipline.  But the promise is that you will gain a harvest of righteousness and peace.  The next time you find yourself struggling with a disobedient, rebellious attitude, remember that God is trying to teach you something through it.  Call out to Him for help.  You will be a blessing to those around you when you learn to submit and obey, and best of all, God will bless you for being obedient! 

Elsie tried her best to be obedient to her father, but sometimes she made mistakes.  Here are 5 things Elsie did when confronted with her disobedience: 

1.     Elsie immediately confessed her wrongdoing!
Elsie didn't blame her actions on anyone else.  Instead she came clean with her side of the story, confessing her disobedience.  The Bible says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16  It's important to face up to your responsibilities.  Your parents will have greater trust in you if you are quick to admit your faults. 

2.     Elsie asked for forgiveness
Whenever Elsie was confronted with a sin or wrongdoing, she was quick to ask for forgiveness.  It was important to Elsie to know that her father had forgiven her.  His forgiveness gave her peace, and it also enabled her to face his punishment with more ease.  It is the same with our Heavenly Father.  The desire to have forgiveness must start in the heart.  When we ask someone to forgive us, we must have an honest desire for change.  When we do wrong, we should want forgiveness.  God forgives us of our sins when we confess them to Him in prayer.  We should also be ready to forgive others who have wronged us. 

3.     Elsie desired repentance from her behavior
Elsie told her father, "and I hope I'll never be so naughty again."  Elsie had a sincere desire to change her behavior.  She didn't want to repeat her mistake, and she had every intention to obey her father more carefully.  This is called repentance.  Matthew 3:8 says,"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."  When we turn away from wrongful behavior, we will begin to see good works in our lives!  It's the "proof" that we are striving to turn from disobedience.