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Obedience

Your way, not mine.

Look up the definition of obedience and you may be put off. You will likely find phrases like “carrying out orders” or “being submissive to authority”, both of which are correct definitions. However, Christian obedience doesn’t mean following orders like robots or doing what you are told to do out of fear of retribution. It is an act of freedom and love, meaning that we are set free from sin by the grace of God and then willingly submit ourselves to His will out of love and a recognition that His will is the absolute best for us.

Often, Christians repent and accept salvation, but we toy with the idea of obedience because it doesn’t fit with our desires and the plans we have for ourselves. We think of obedience as being restrictive, costly, or rule-based; so we continue to live our Christian lives on the edge, giving the bare minimum in the hopes that this is enough to “secure“ our salvation. While we do not advocate a Christian life that is heavily focused on following rules, we must emphasize that obedience is essential to living a fruitful Christian life.

Walking in obedience to God is a bit like being obedient to our earthly parents. Every loving father wants his child to experience freedom and live a life full of creativity and fulfilment. Out of love, the father sets boundaries and rules, and offers advice and wisdom to protect his child from harm or mistakes.

The father also does his best to develop gifts or talents he sees in his child through instruction and teaching. Obviously there are cases where these approaches can be heavy handed, but always the heart of the father is love for his child.

When we obey our parents, we are recognizing their authority over our lives; we give them honor, acknowledging their wisdom and instruction, and we accept that their actions are out of love and in our best interest. It is the same in our relationship with God. In John 14:15-16, Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commandments”. He then goes on to promise the Holy Spirit as a helper who will never leave us and will lead us into truth. There will always be times when obeying God is hard, however, there is a grace to obey, and the Holy Spirit is with us always to help us. Unlike our earthly parents who may sometimes fail in their own wisdom, God is perfect, and we always come out on top if we submit to His will.

Obedience can also be hard when we do not understand the why, or when we do not know who is in authority. It would certainly be hard to obey and follow someone you do not know. This is why it is important to spend time getting to know God through praying, reading the Bible, and meeting with other believers. Many times, God doesn’t tell us the why, how, or when, but, when we understand His nature and the fact that everything He allows is for our good, it becomes easier to obey. (Romans 8:28).

Be encouraged today and lean into a life of obedience to God’s Word. God loves you and wants to transform you into the best version of yourself. All you need to do is obey!