Humble Obedience

Romans 1:10

We are moving on throughout Romans chapter one and will be studying verse ten in this article. The verse says, “Making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.” From this verse we can see that Paul wants to visit the Romans, but so far it has not been a part of God’s will. Notably, Paul is asking God, he is making a request to Him, and he is waiting for God’s approval which so far has been denied.

Why does God not want Paul to visit the Romans? We do not know, but we do know that God has a reason. God wanted him somewhere else, preaching and teaching about Him to others. And Paul obeyed.

What Paul did is important for us to replicate, not because Paul did it and he was a good guy, but because what he did was obey God and humble himself. The fact that he prayed and asked God to go visit the Romans shows that he seeks God when making decisions. Going to visit the Romans seems like a good thing, and it appears Paul had only good intentions (verses 11-12). But he sought God’s will anyway. He knew that God may want him to stay where he was or go somewhere else to preach and teach about Him.

It’s not only what he did that we ought to replicate, but also how he did it. He did not demand that he go to the Romans. He did not say a prayer while packing his bags. He made a request. He realized who he was. He was a willing bondservant. He was completely under the will of his Master. This is the best place to be and exactly where we ought to live.

I find it difficult to pray for God’s will, especially when what I am praying about is a good thing. On those occasions, it almost seems like a waste of time to pray. Paul’s circumstances are a little different, he was going to preach somewhere, he just didn’t know where. He had some ideas, but God had others.

I’m not a preacher or a missionary; I’m just an accountant. I’ve prayed several times about potentially going into the ministry, but I have never received a “yes” from God. It seems like going into the ministry would be the logical thing to do, assuming I am obedient and doing it for the right reasons, because I would be proclaiming His Name and trying to save souls. But if God has a different plan or will for me, I must accept that and obey Him willingly. I must be content where God has me. Perhaps one day He will call me into the ministry, perhaps He will not. Either way, I must seek His will and obey His answer.

What about you? Do you seek His will, making a request to Him as a humble bondservant should? Do you accept His answer when it is not the answer you are looking for? If you do accept His answer, are you accepting it with an obedient, content spirit? Or are you grumbling and complaining, drifting away from being His humble bondservant and friend, and falling back towards being a slave of sin instead of a slave of righteousness? We must remember to humble ourselves and remember Who we serve. He is gracious and kind; however, He is also wise and powerful.

It is not easy to obey with a content heart; we must learn it. It is unnatural for us, but we have to try. We have to strive to be better and to become holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4). God has a perfect will for everyone (Psalm 139), and if we obey and accept His leading we will be filled with joy and contentment as we humble ourselves to His perfect plan.

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