A lot of the commands in the Bible are very specific and straightforward. For example, it doesn't take a scholar or a theologian to understand that God wants us to pray regularly and to rejoice in Him - those commands are scattered throughout the New Testament, with various degrees of explanation and specificity. Yet for some reason we as Christians don't seem to want to take those commands seriously. How many people actually set aside a decent amount of time every day to pray for others and to praise and thank God? How many people pray throughout their day as they encounter, struggle with, or are blessed with various things? I don't think the number is very high (I'm not regularly one of them myself either, to my shame). And why is having a conversation with God in the morning before work something I think I can be proud of, something exceptional, instead of something I perceive as normal and natural obedience to my Lord?
Similarly, the Bible is pretty clear in its injunctions to put the needs of others higher than one's own, to love and respect other people, to speak encouraging and uplifting words, to cultivate a spirit of gentleness, and to seek union (rather than conflict or division) with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are there times when the specific application of a command is unclear? Yes, most definitely! For some commands, also, that is more frequent than others. But that does not free us of the obligation to obey those commands when we do understand how they are to be obeyed, nor should it be used as an excuse to cover up an unwillingness of the heart to submit to God. Are there times when our circumstances seem to have conspired against us, so that we're tired, sick, bowed down with sorrow, and incredibly busy all at once, and the last thing we want to do is think about anyone else's needs? Yes, and in those times obeying God can be terribly hard. But it is key in those times to admit that we are struggling with our sinful desires, and thus to throw ourselves upon God's grace in dependence and repentance, instead of using those circumstances to rationalize away any and all behavior.
The call to obedience is loud and clear throughout God's word, even when any other more specific call of God (to vocation, for instance) is ambiguous or uncertain. Why should we expect Him to reveal more of that specific call if we have shown ourselves to be unwilling to obey Him in what He has revealed already? Obedience is a hard path to walk, but I think as we learn to travel it we will find it strewn with treasure and covered with joy, because we travel it with Jesus.
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