“Because I Said So!” The age-old saying that every child hates to hear, every youth promises they will never say to their kids, and eventually every parent inevitably says. It's the parenting standoff: when a child is asked to do a chore, change course, or help with cleanup, and the “WHHHHHHHhhhhhhyyy?” is the immediate rebuttal. “Because I Said So” is the conversation ender. “I” am the authority, my word is being spoken, and your compliance is required. For the child, rarely is this question of “why” an innocent search for understanding. It is usually a stall tactic. If the parent cannot give the exact right information and reasoning, they can go off on their merry way and keep doing whatever they want. The questioning of a parent's request inherently elevates the child to the level of—or above—the parent. The child demands to evaluate whether the command is worth obeying. While this is cute for a toddler and a nuisance for a teenager, we approach the Lord with this same posture, delaying compliance or giving an outright denial of what God’s Word says. In the same way, we elevate ourselves to the same level or even above God when we think that we can evaluate what He calls us to do before obeying. And God’s response: “Because I Said So.” What is your heart posture before the Lord?
As adults, we may rarely ask “why?” out loud. We may ask through hesitations, through conditional obedience, or by waiting until all the pieces make sense to us. Scripture gives us guidance on how we are to wait and obey.
Proverbs 3:5–6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding..."
Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
When we are asked to forgive someone, it can feel completely unfair compared to the pain they have caused us. Yet Ephesians 4:32 calls us to unconditionally forgive. It would be so easy to say, “But God, why should I forgive, and why does that person deserve my forgiveness?”
“Because I said so.”
Perhaps a job looks appealing, but there will be compromises that need to be made along the way to get promotions or be accepted. It may appear practical on paper, but it will compromise the holy life we are called to live. “But why can’t I just try it?”
“Because I said so.”
Let’s look to the story of Abraham in Genesis 12:1–4, where he was asked to leave his homeland, his family, and his security to go to a land that God would show him. This implied that Abraham would have to leave first before being told where to go—because God said so.
Genesis 12:1-4
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
Later, the book of Hebrews reflects on Abraham’s faith as the father of the nation of Israel.
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out... and he went out, not knowing where he was going."
His faith did not require a template, a strategic plan, or a convincing advertisement. It required a first step. Perhaps the first step is actually the one taken in our hearts. The step to trust God - the Creator of the Universe knows what He is asking of us and why. And that should be enough for us. Because He said so.
In the New Testament, we see Peter casting his nets for fish as a seasoned fisherman who worked all night and caught nothing. How discouraging that would have been! Imagine yourself in that place. You have been a fisherman your whole life. You know the best location and time to fish. Your family depends on you to know how to best provide through your occupation. And after a long and disappointing night—feeling like your time had been completely wasted—Jesus says to just go where it is deeper! Perhaps the first instinct would be to feel offended that you didn’t already try that, or that you KNOW the fish do not swim in that area! But look at Simon’s response:
Luke 5:4-6
“Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear.”
In true obedience, Simon surrendered his expert analysis and personal fatigue, and simply obeyed the authority of Christ's voice. He obeyed without an explanation or a bulleted plan. He obeyed because Jesus, the Son of God, said so. Perhaps God had ordained that they would catch no fish all night, knowing that He could provide even more than their nets could hold. In what areas of your life are you struggling in your own strength while the voice of the Lord is telling you to “wait” or “try again” because He wants to provide for you in abundance from His grace and not from your toil?
Let us not confuse God’s direction and our need to obey with God being a cold and unfeeling dictator. As parents, we do not use this phrase to make our children's lives worse—in fact, it is exactly the opposite. Perhaps there is no time for us to explain, or it is not the time or place to give details, or perhaps we want to see obedience because we know what is best for them. As parents, our most critical job is training our children to listen to and obey the voice of God, and we do that by modeling it in our own lives and setting up opportunities for them to practice obedience here on earth.
Scripture continues to show us God’s heart toward us. He wants to meet us in our weakness; He desires to draw us close to Himself in relationship, and He wants to spare us from the hurt and pain of sin. In John 15:15, Jesus calls us “friends”: “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”
When God explains His plans to us, it is an act of mercy and kindness. It is not a prerequisite for our compliance. He is not conceding that our knowledge and understanding of the situation are necessary before we step out in faith and obey. In the majority of Scripture examples, God asks us to obey without an explanation.
Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
In the Book of Job, God never owed Job an explanation for his suffering; instead, He gave Job an encounter with His majesty. We do not need all the answers when we know the One who holds them. Let us shift our heart posture from "I will obey when it makes sense to me" to "I will obey because I know who spoke."
Where are you currently demanding details before offering compliance? A stalled reconciliation, a closed door you keep rattling, or an unhurried quiet time you postpone? When we release our grip on the "why," we finally experience the peace of letting God be God. Obedience without all the details isn't blind faith; it is resting fully in the character of our Father.