Get the appRepicture Obedience at HomeSample
The picture is finally complete through the act of obedience- one that is built on listening, trusting, and saying yes. The act of obedience is made more powerful and complete because of them. Obedience is the choice of all choices. After all, the rescue plan God has for humanity was set into motion because we CHOSE not to obey and Jesus’ CHOICE to die on the cross was to rescue us. Our lives are forever changed by our CHOICE to say yes to Jesus.
We choose a thousand times a day to obey the voice of the Lord or go our own way. Our children are making that daily choice too. True obedience is a submission of our whole selves because we love the one to who we are submitting. After we have listened, trusted, and said yes, how then are we to demonstrate our obedience?
Right away and all the way.
We obey right away. Obedience has a timestamp before it shifts into disobedience. “I’ll get to it later” or “just a few more minutes ' or a mindless, “uh-huh” is delaying, not obeying. As we train in our homes, we remind our children of the time stamp. When they are delayed, we train them. We give them loving consequences. Most importantly, we give them the grace we are given and help them dust off and try again.
We obey all the way. Obedience is not a half-hearted commitment. We train our children to obey to the best of their capability, completing with excellence and finishing well. We follow through on commitments and commands. We give our best. How we do little things is how we do all things because obedience does not depend on the size of the task.
After all, obedience today becomes-
deliverance for a nation through a parted Red Sea.
conquering the enemy and walls falling.
God showing up in power.
Favor with kings and a nation saved.
Walking on water.
Trust leads to obedience. Obedience leads to God doing amazing things. Those amazing things lead to greater trust. The cycle continues and strengthens through every act of obedience by ourselves and our children. The picture of our Father becomes clearer. The transformation in our individual life becomes a perfect picture of God’s love.
And that is the picture of a lifetime.
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About this Plan
Frustrated in your parenting efforts to get your children to obey? This devotional goes deeper into the outward action of obedience as what it truly is- an inward posture of love and honor. When we teach our children to obey us, they can then obey their Heavenly Father. Our job is to set the stage for the picture of a lifetime. Let’s repicture obedience at home.
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