"Simon Says" Follow God: When God Challenges Our Comfort Zones

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 Like I am sure many of you who are reading this can remember that childhood game "Simon Says" The rules were simple: only follow the instructions if "Simon says" them. Yet, dispite the simple instructions we quickly learned how difficult it was to follow them. How many times did we jump the gun, doing something without hearing those magic words, and end up out of the game? 

    It really does prove a vital point I have found to be true time and time again.  That truth is following instructions, especially when they challenge our assumptions, isn't always easy. This is profoundly true when it comes to following God's leading. Doing what God has called you to do sounds simple but to implement it is anything but easy. What happens when God "says" something that goes against everything we've ever known, everything we've been taught, or even everything we feel comfortable with? 

    This is exactly what Peter discovered one pivotal day around lunch time in the small port city of Joppa. All his life, Peter, a devout Jew, had been taught specific beliefs about Gentiles: they were considered unclean, worldly, and separated from God. If you were going to follow God then you needed to do your best to distance yourself form them. You did not want them influencing you and stirring you away from God. They were definitely not "God's chosen people" in the same way Jews were. In the eyes of many Jews, Gentiles were second-class citizens in the spiritual realm.

    Yet God had a grander plan—a plan to reveal that the Gospel was for all people, that Jew and Gentile alike stand on equal footing at the foot of the cross. To shift Peter's deep-seated convictions, God gave him a vision: a sheet descending from heaven filled with all sorts of animals, both "clean" and "unclean," and a command to "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." (Acts 10:13 ESV)

Peter's immediate response was a firm "No!" "By no means, Lord," he declared, "for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." (Acts 10:14 ESV) But God's reply was clear: "What God has made clean, do not call common." (Acts 10:15 ESV) 

    God wasn't primarily interested in changing Peter's diet; He was intent on changing Peter's heart—his ingrained attitudes and beliefs. As this vision was unfolding, a divine appointment was already in motion. Servants from a Roman centurion named Cornelius were on their way, sent by God to invite Peter to Cornelius's home so he might hear the Gospel and be saved. 

    When these Gentile servants arrived at Peter's doorstep, just moments after the vision, Peter couldn't ignore the undeniable leading of the Holy Spirit. Despite his upbringing, despite everything he had been raised to believe, Peter chose to go with these servants to Cornelius's house.

    The moment Peter stepped inside Cornelius's home, the transformation in his understanding was evident. He immediately declared:

"You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean." (Acts 10:28 ESV)

    God was powerfully at work in Cornelius's life that day. Peter preached the Gospel, and Cornelius's entire household came to faith and received the Holy Spirit.

    However God was not just at work in Cornelius's household. You see God was working in Peter's heart as well. Changing his preconceived and deep seeded prejudices toward men and women like Cornelius.  You see none of this would have happened if Peter had stubbornly clung to his traditions and refused to follow God's clear leading.

    Think about that for a moment: our reluctance to follow God's prompting could be a hindrance to a powerful move of God, in our own lives and in the lives of others. Peter had to lay aside deeply held personal beliefs and even risk his own reputation among his family and friends. All to follow God. Fortunately for Peter and for Cornelius, Peter willingly followed God's leading and shared the gospel. 

    You see there will be times when God leads us in directions that directly challenge our traditions, our feelings, our comfort zones, our understanding, or even our attitudes. God might ask you to forgive someone you feel has wronged you profoundly. He might ask you to initiate a conversation with someone you'd rather try to avoid. The question for Peter, and the question for us, remains: Will we follow God, or stubbornly hold our ground?

We need to follow God's leading in our lives, but how can we discern and obey His voice?

How to Follow God's Leading:

  1. Watch What God is Doing Around You. Peter recognized God's activity through a series of interconnected events: the visions, the arrival of Cornelius's servants, and the receptive atmosphere at Cornelius's house. All these circumstances pointed to God's orchestrating hand. God is at work all around us, every single day. If we want to follow His leading, we must cultivate a spirit of observation. Ask yourself (and ask the Lord to show you):

    • "Who has God brought into my life?"
    • "What circumstances is God bringing about?"
    • "How might God want to use me in the work He is doing?"

  2. Communicate with God. Peter received his transformative vision during a time of prayer. He was spending intentional time with God, listening and talking to Him. It's hard to play "Simon Says" if you have earplugs in! How can we expect to follow God's leading if we aren't consistently communicating with Him? Prioritize time in prayer, immerse yourself in His Word, listen to sermons, and engage with worship music. The more we commune with God, the more attuned we become to His voice.

  3. Follow Through. Peter saw what God was doing, and he listened to what God was saying. But ultimately, he had to obey. He had to take the step of faith and follow through with God's directive. You can observe and listen all you want, but true obedience requires action. It means laying aside anything that might be holding you back—your fears, doubts, anxieties, personal traditions, denominational preferences, church "rules," or even the opinions of others.

Peter's life, his ministry, and the very trajectory of the early church were forever changed because he chose to follow God's leading. Who knows what God will do in your life, or in the lives of those around you, when you, too, decide to play "Simon Says" with the Almighty and truly follow His divine instruction?

Location: Jacmel, Haiti

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