How does the word "obedience" make you feel? Does it sound like a bad thing? After all, we all like to be able to make our own choices. Does obedience to someone make you feel inferior as a person? I have found that most people, in general, don't like the word, "obedience", myself included. We fear it will take away our freedom. It's hard to trust someone enough to give them control in our lives. But most of all, are we afraid to trust God enough to give Him the "obedience" He deserves. What if He asks us to do something that is very hard? What if God wants us to give up things that are important to us? Or maybe obedience reveals a level of pride in us that we are avoiding. Pride is the most deadly of the seven deadly sins and obedience is a great destroyer of pride. It is very difficult to be full of pride while being obedient to God at the same time.
Maybe we don't understand what it means to be obedient to God. Maybe that is why most of us are afraid to surrender our lives to God. Did you know that fear is the only emotion we have that makes us stuck? A long time ago, I read Psalm 40, today's Psalm, and learned that God doesn't want sacrifices and offerings. So, I thought, then what does He want? When I read verse 9, "To do your will is my delight, my God, your law is in my heart!", I decided to give it a try. I was tired of being stuck fearing God. I had to allow God to give me "ears that are open to obedience" so I could learn God's law and put it in my heart. I discovered that God's law was "Love". God wants me to be obedient to love. I started looking for opportunities to love Him and others. It didn't take me very long to start noticing that I was feeling more free, more peaceful and more alive than I was before. He never asked anything too great from me. I found out that being obedient to God through loving Him is never sacrificial or unpleasant. In fact, everything God has ever asked of me has made my life better. Today, I have little fear of being obedient to God. Totally trusting in God through obedience is a life long process. Because of my trust and obedience, He is also conforming my will to His a little bit at a time and the more He does that, the more I feelHis love in my heart. That encourages me to become even more obedient to Him.
Following God's will, believe it or not, is actually easier, safer, peaceful and rewarding to our lives. Are you someone that struggles with obedience to God? If so, I hope this makes sense to you. I hope my testimony will help you decide to give it a try like I did. You will NOT be sorry, I promise. You've heard it said that "hindsight is 20/20". Looking back, I see that Satan was the one that deceived me into believing that our God is a demanding God and He will take away all the things I value. Psalm 40 shows us that none of this is true. God loves us and only wants what is best for us. Yes, He will take things out of our lives, but only the things that are sinful, the things that will hurt us, others and our souls. Sin is disorder to love and love fixes that disorder. God is order and God is love. Obedience to God's law brings order, not disorder, toour lives and brings us closer to Him. Obedience to God, lets God be God in our lives.
So, I challenge you to ask yourself these questions, First, "Do I believe in God?" The obvious answer will be yes, because you and I know He does exist. Then ask yourself "Do I believe God?" You may find that this question is harder to answer, because to truly "believe God" means you are being obedient to all His laws of love. So, is God's law written on your heart? Are you being loving to all and in all situations? Do you die to yourself in order to love? Most of us have a hard time saying yes to all of the above. However, obedience is the tool that will get us towhere we belong, God living within us and us living with Him for all eternity.
May God grace us with obedience.
BACK TO LIST