The Character of Christ: Acting Like JesusНамуна

The Obedience of Christ

When we think of obedience, we probably think mostly of what we do. It seems to be an action or behavior more than a character trait. But this is only if we look at obedience on the surface level. Not all obedience is the same. Think about your child grumbling and back talking as he takes out the trash. He might have been obedient in his actions, but surely, he wasn’t obedient in his heart. Or think about your kid cutting corners to get a chore done. Again, perhaps she was obedient from one perspective but not from a deeper one.

The same can be true of us as we seek to live for Christ. We might have the appearance of obedience at times but lack the substance of obedience within our minds and hearts. God, however, doesn’t focus on the externals. They matter, for sure. But what matters far more is what drives those externals—our heart posture (1 Samuel 16:7).

To think about what this looks like, we can turn our attention to Jesus’ time on earth. We know Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly on earth—he was sinless and completely faithful in all he did. But what matters just as much or even more is that even in the difficult things, he obeyed with an eye on pleasing the Father, and with joy (Hebrews 12:2). We cannot develop a “plastic Jesus” in our thinking. Yes, he is divine, but he also became fully human at the incarnation. That means he felt real pain. Real sorrow. Real agony. Real rejection. Obeying wasn’t easy for him. This is why he agonized in Gethsemane over the upcoming crucifixion. But Jesus put his own desires, comfort, and very life second to the Father’s will and glory. That’s the fuel of radical obedience in our kids’ lives too.

Our kids are called to obey in a multitude of ways each day. Before you’re an adult, it seems as if almost everyone has authority over you. There’s us, their parents. Then there are grandparents, teachers, coaches, bosses, church leaders, and many other adults. Opportunities to obey aren’t scarce for our kids! Encourage them to go the extra mile as they strive to obey each time with willingness and joy. Obedience might be expected but that kind of obedience will blow expectations!

1. What draws you to the obedience of Christ?
2. How might you help your kid(s) imitate Christ’s obedience today?

Adapted from Family Discipleship That Works: Guiding Your Child to Know, Love, and Act like Jesus. Copyright ©2024 by Brian Dembowczyk. Used by permission. For more information, please visit www.ivpress.com/family-discipleship-that-works.