In 1974 Burger King coined the slogan: ‘Have it Your Way.’
Burger King sought to capitalize on a pop culture shift that had begun to embrace individuality.
Even though Burger King tried different slogans over the years, ‘Have it Your Way’ remained the most popular slogan, staying in use by the fast food franchise until 2014.
In a restaurant setting, giving the customer a choice to customize their meal is a good business practice, but as we read 1 Samuel 15:13-15,17-23, deviating from God’s instructions can lead to disastrous consequences.
When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’
Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.
The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
God’s way is always the best way.
Prayer: Lord, I repent for wanting to have it my way. Your ways are higher than my ways. Give me the wisdom to follow your instructions without deviation and the grace to try again when I fail.
Action: Take some time and read 1 Samuel 15. Have you ever been in Saul’s position? Think about a time when you deviated from God’s instructions and the consequences that followed.
Frank Turner
Frank Turner is the founder of Break Bread, Break Chains and is the co-host of the following podcasts: Defund The Church, Relative Currency, Politically Entertaining, and Christ over Crypto. He is also the founder and creator of the op-ed site Fake News Syndicate.