Ever had a conversation with someone where their response sounded like a record skipping on the phrase “I know, I know, I know”?

When I was a kid my mom and I would watch Mr.Rogers Neighborhood while eating breakfast. There was a rocking horse that only said one phrase in a sing-songy tone that would match the rocking rhythm, “I know, I know, I know.”

As I grew up and embraced the common teenage pattern of knowing everything, I would often sound a lot like that rocking horse, to which my mom would lovingly mock me doing her best rocking horse impression. It made her nuts and now that I’m a mom, I totally get it! But this isn’t about a teenage phase, this is about an adult response.

I’m telling you now, this is a strong opinion that might ruffle your feathers. But, please bear with me, I’m praying that it helps you grow and enlighten you to a pattern that isn’t healthy.

I covet as much healing and wholeness in my life as possible. I am willing to go as deep with the Holy Spirit as I can because I trust the Lord wants to only do good in me. Therefore, when the Lord leads me into correction I go with gladness. Please hear me, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy or that it’s not a process, one that often takes longer than I’d like. I’m not perfect and I also struggle with letting go of the flesh desires when they have a strong foothold in me. But, if I’ve learned anything from my past, it’s that God’s invitations are always better then my immediate comfort. I’ve spent too long in my life disobeying His voice and it’s not worth it!

So, back to the “I know.”

I hear it all the time (especially as a pastor),

“I know…I should stop (fill in the blank)”

YES! You should! And here’s the thing….YOU CAN (more on that later)! There is something in us that feels like we get brownie points just because we know better even if we don’t do better. That’s not only wrong, at some point, it becomes disobedience. [ouch].

If I have told my daughter to do something, as her parent, I know what’s best for her, and I want her to do it. I didn’t ask her or instruct her to do it for my own benefit (although sometimes it does benefit me). If she doesn’t do it and I remind her, if her response is, “I know,” my response to her will be “If you know, then you need to do it, please.” After awhile, the please disappears and she is now in direct disobedience.

As a child,

“Willful defiance”

was the phrase I hated most. If I heard that come out of my mother’s mouth I knew I was in store for a spanking. Willful defiance meant that I knew better and did it anyway -busted. Nothing changes as we get older. Yes, we have the freedom to choose, but there does come a point in our lives, especially if we are followers of Christ, that when we hear the voice of the Lord and choose to do otherwise, it’s disobedience. Now, for me, that’s something I don’t want to do. I trust the Lord. I also know that the difficulty and pain I have suffered in my life is often directly related to the willful defiance of the Lord’s leading in my life. He didn’t cause the pain and suffering, I did. He gave me another option, and I chose my way.

So now, I am quick to obey. In fact, quick obedience is a core value of mine. I don’t want to be like the rocking horse saying “I know” all the time but never moving forward. And the best part is that we can do it! The Lord never leads us into anything without providing all we need to accomplish it. Whether that is the power of the Holy Spirit and self-control to resist temptation, the support of a community to hold us accountable, the faithfulness of God to never leave us, or the supernatural miracle working of the Lord. There is a phrase I’ve heard in the past that says, “if the Lord will lead you to it, he will lead you through it.” Truth.

Stop knowing, and do.

Joyfully obeying the Lord,

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