The Cost of Disobedience: Lessons from the Court and the Kingdom

Recently, I was officiating a high school basketball game that wasn't very competitive, but on the final play of the first half, a player for the home team drove hard to the basket and went up for a shot.

With only a few seconds left on the clock, my partners and I were watching closely to ensure the shot got off before the buzzer and to confirm whether it went in. The shot was clearly released before the buzzer, and we were ready to count the basket.

But just before the ball dropped through the rim, his teammate leapt up and slapped the ball off the rim and into the basket.

Without diving too deep into the rules, let's just say that’s not allowed.

The crowd erupted, thinking their player had hit a buzzer-beater to end the first half. Then, they erupted again when we waved off the basket. The player who took the shot ran toward me, begging for an explanation, completely unaware that his teammate had interfered with his shot.

Once I explained what happened, the player turned, hands on his head, and yelled at his teammate.

Basketball is filled with moments like these.

And so is life.

There are times when we “cannot help ourselves.” We try to do things our own way or don’t trust the people we’re working with, and as a result, we end up hurting the whole group. Our selfishness, or even a lack of awareness, creates chaos and affects those around us.

The Bible gives us a powerful example of this in 1 Samuel 15:22-23. In this passage, we see how King Saul’s disobedience cost him everything:

"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.'"

King Saul had everything: power, favor with the people, and favor with God. He was the first king of Israel, after all. The Bible even tells us he stood a head taller than anyone else. Saul was a big man, a powerful man—but he was also a disobedient man.

In this particular instance, Saul was given specific instructions by God before going into battle. Saul won the battle, but he didn’t fully follow God's commands. God had instructed him to destroy everything, but Saul kept some of the finest livestock. When confronted, Saul claimed that the livestock was spared for a sacrifice to God.

This was Saul’s mistake. He thought his reasoning—his "noble" intent—was good enough to justify his disobedience. But Samuel rebuked him, saying that God valued obedience more than sacrifice. Saul's failure to fully listen to God marked the end of his reign as king, even though David wouldn't replace him for years.

All because Saul didn’t completely obey God's instructions.

In the basketball game, the young player probably thought he was doing something good—he might have been trying to help his team, or maybe he wanted to take the glory for himself. He likely didn’t intend to hurt anyone. But by slapping the ball off the rim, he interfered with his teammate’s shot and cost the team valuable points.

Similarly, Saul’s disobedience was rooted in his own reasoning—he came up with a "noble" excuse for why he did what he did. He claimed he was saving the best livestock for a sacrifice to God, but he was ultimately going against God’s plan.

How often do we disobey God, thinking we have "noble, godly reasons" for doing so?

This week, I encourage you to slow down, listen to God, love Him, and honor Him in everything you do. Let’s not let our selfishness or our desire to control things hurt God or our neighbors.

Anyway, I was just thinking...