Independent Thinking Christians

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the Voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the Word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.  1 Samuel, Chapter 15, verses 22-23.

This chapter is basically about God telling Saul (through Samuel) to conquer Amalek.  They were to destroy everything and not to take anything from there.  Well, Saul was an independent thinker.  He won the battle but kept the king and the best of the sheep and the oxen after God had already told him not to take anything.

Samuel tells Saul that God isn’t happy with him because he took the spoil of the land against His wishes.  Saul, being the fast thinker that he was, said the reason that he kept all the best of the sheep and oxen was because he brought them back to sacrifice them to God.  Then Samuel tells Saul that God wants us to us to follow Him and do exactly what He asks of us.  He goes on to ask Saul (paraphrased), “Which is more important, offering sacrifices to God or doing what He asks you to do?”  God wants us Independent Thinking Christians to obey Him, not to be independent thinkers and do our own thing, trying to rationalize our actions.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.