1 JohnSample

Finish this phrase if you know it, “If you’re gonna talk the talk, you gotta _______.” Like most of you, I’ve heard that phrase once or twice in my life. I’ve heard it on tv, in school, on the football field, etc. The place I’ve heard it the most, however, has been in the church.

I actually grew up in church. Granted, I didn’t start following Jesus until I was 17, but I was fully immersed in church culture from birth. I am so thankful that my parents didn’t make going to church optional, and there are so many good things in my life that I would not have without that experience. However, my church upbringing was not the most life-giving. There are things that I was taught as a kid that I have had to unlearn the more I have gotten to know Jesus intentionally. At the top of that list is my understanding of what it means to be obedient.

In verses 4-5, John says, “If someone claims, ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.” My question for you today is, when it comes to obeying God, do you take an approach that is more focused on verse 4 or verse 5? I think the answer to that question is paramount to your ability to be obedient and the quality of life you will end up living.

There are two main motivations for obedience: we can obey because we have to, or we can obey because we want to. An employee obeys the code of conduct because his or her paycheck depends on that obedience. However, that is not the type of obedience God asks of us. I have learned that when I truly understand what God has done for me. When I understand that he gave his son just for the chance that I would accept a relationship with him. When I understand that because of what Jesus did on the cross, I don’t just have the forgiveness of my sins, but I have the freedom to move on from my past. When I understand that my life matters and I have been given a calling and a purpose to help people, God consequently causes me to experience fulfillment. When I understand all that, it doesn’t matter what’s being asked of me; my answer is yes. Consistent obedience is not the product of trying to keep the commandment. Consistent obedience is the product of knowing how much God loves us.

So what are you thankful for today? How has God been good to you? I can promise you that the answer to that question is your key to obedience.

Prayer Points

• Thank God for how he has been good to you recently
• Ask God to help your obedience be motivated by love