To obey God is to find freedom – true freedom.
All around me I hear people saying they just want to be happy and do their own thing. Sounds reasonable, but without the Lord’s counsel, there will be endless crossroads.
The word obedience has been put to the wayside, even left out of conversations pertaining to God as if it is a touchy subject that might turn people away.
You may even think of the Lord’s teachings as old-school, unneeded, or too structured. But it’s actually the opposite. The Lord’s teachings are for this day and age, are needed more than ever, and provide a pathway that is freeing.
“The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing ones life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure; enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are reliable and all together righteous. They are more desirable than gold – than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb. In addition, your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.”
Psalm 19:7-11 HCSB
The Lord’s Teachings Renew And Protect Us
Times have changed, but Jesus has not changed. He continues to lay out a pathway that frees us from our past, renews our soul, and protects us. This is what makes His teachings so valuable today and every day.
We are living in a fast-paced world where all the answers seem to be on Google. When it comes to one’s soul though, Jesus is the only provider who will not fail you.
As the verse above points outs – “the ordinances of the Lord are reliable.”
These ordinances lead to transformation, but the key is obedience.
Without an obedient heart that seeks God first, we will be unable to stay on the path Jesus sets before us.
So, I challenge you with this question: Are you willing to put aside your own desires and opinions in order to grow in obedience to God?
Obedience Starts With Willingness
As confidently as I want to say, Yes 100%, the truth is being obedient is not necessarily easy. What I have come to realize though is that making an effort to understand the Lord is when your desire to be obedient grows. The Lord will meet you right where you are in the learning process.
The bible is not always going to make sense, but I can say with certainty that God will reveal to you in time why He lays forth the guidelines He does.
When I first started my journey with Jesus, I could feel the Lord peeling away each layer of hurt and pain I was carrying. Yet, in many ways, I continued to hold on to old habits, knowingly going against the Lord. I continued to drink alcohol in a way that went against God’s teachings. I shared time with men who I knew had no intention of creating a future with me. I held on to my anxiety as if it was more powerful than God.
And I did this for more than a few years.
Still, God was moving in my life. He was not about to give up me. He met me time and time again when I went to church or opened my bible. Even through my stubbornness, He wanted to help me.
I can see now that God is not expecting perfection or for us to get everything right the first time around.
Instead, He is asking for willingness – a willingness to seek Him with every part of yourself even when it doesn’t make sense.
This willingness is what leads to the renewing of one’s mind.
As I have become more willing to follow the word of God, I have become more wise, living with a joyful heart that knows God’s plan is bigger than my plan.
We just have to follow His lead.
“For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9 HCSB
Questions Answered At The Right Time
For quite awhile, I still wondered why God warns us to not get drunk with wine, or why premarital sex is a sin. And why is my worrying considered sinful in nature?
God answered all of these questions when He knew I was ready to understand on a deeper level.
“Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB
This one verse brought everything to light for me. I was bought at a price – Jesus’s life. How could I take my body, my mind, and my soul for granted by doing what I want or what feels good in the moment.
Every choice we make leaves an impression on our hearts.
If I choose to find comfort in a way that God has warned me to be aware of, I am putting myself in a situation that God did not intend.
“The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray.”
Proverbs 10:17 HCSB
His plan is there to protect us from being controlled by any negative strongholds that are created through sin.
Again, none of us are perfect, and that’s not the Lord’s expectation. Effort is what’s important.
As Jesus renews our mind through His word, the Holy Spirit will be there to remind us of what the Lord has said and then guide us in a direction that we could never find on our own.
Jesus makes this clear.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 HCSB
We are not left to mange life alone. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, who counsels us through each day. This is a promise. When we disobey God or make a mistake, the Holy Spirit is there to help us see the error in our ways so we can approach the next situation with the Lord’s wisdom instead of our own.
Obedience Equals Freedom
Obedience to the Lord still matters today because it brings about change and progress in one’s life.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, return to His word, and begin to walk forward in a new way.
Sure, questions will remain: Why does God ask this of us? Why shouldn’t I follow my heart? If my intentions are good, then why is God telling me: No, not this way.
When diligent in building your relationship with the Lord, such questions will be answered.
A clear picture will begin to form about who you are in Christ and this is what brings freedom.
Obedience to God should not be hidden or seen in the negative. Jesus considered obedience a form of love.
“As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep my commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:9-11 HCSB
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