What does obedience have to do with a successful Christian journey? I was taking a walk and talking with God recently about this. Here is my side of our conversation. 

Lord, You have provided for us and encourage us to stand. To withstand the enemy. Stand in victory because we walk from the point of victory. We don’t fight for victory. 

You provide all we need for life and godliness. All we need. Nothing missing. Nothing lacking.

To give us abundant life. To triumph because You, Lord Jesus, have overcome the world. 

But, what is the key to this life You promise?

It requires something on our part, doesn’t it? That is obedience.

Obedient

Let’s be honest. Are we always obedient to Your still small voice?

What about:

• To obey You when You want us to love when someone offends us. 
• To obey You when someone thwarts our plans and we want to get frustrated
• To be patient when we want to get angry
• You ask us to turn the other cheek, to be offended without retaliating.
• You ask us to give without any appreciation in return
• You want us to trust You when we want to take things into our own hands and control the situation
• To walk daily with You in the valleys, in the everyday ordinary life, when it seems like we can handle it and don’t need You.
• To be diligent in following You instead of taking time off, especially at home

Obedience is something that we choose to do, isn’t it? Sometimes we might wish that the Holy Spirit would come on us somehow and change us instantly into obedient followers. Make it easier. But, I think You want us to choose each time, each day, each situation in our lives to obey. To love You that much. 

This walk of obedience is just that…a walk, right? It isn’t a mountaintop experience. It is a walk. Everyday. A choice. A walk. Many, many times we do not trust, we do not obey.

We walk our lives and want You to bless it. We live our lives and want You to protect us from evil.

Disobedient Christians

We live our lives, make our own decisions, and want You to bless us, but we don’t want to obey You. That is a dirty secret in the Christian world, I believe. We don’t want to obey You. We want You to bless us, but we don’t want to obey You. At least…not always.

It is in choosing to live according to our natural desires that we are not obeying You. We are not walking according to the Spirit. It is then we are walking according to the flesh(natural desires) and I recall Paul tells us in Romans 8 that to be carnally minded is death and is enmity against God. Wow! Those are strong words.

And yet…there are so many promises in Your word if we would only obey Your word. 

Obedience leads to victory

So I see it is in obedience that we find the victory.

Your word answers every problem in life…And You promised us abundant life. You promised that we would always triumph. 

In stepping out in obedience, we find You all complete. It is where we find joy, where we find out You are all You say You are. It is then we find joy in serving You.

It is obedience. That is how we access the walk of victory.

It doesn’t just happen. It isn’t a walk of victory until we step out.

It isn’t joy until we are obedient. 

Words to light your part

2 Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live would live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Help us not to be afraid to obey You. Help us to confess our rebellion, our lack of obedience. By choosing to put off and not dealing with it. Help us to be courageous and choose to obey You. Help us not to be so protective of ourselves, our plans, lives, reputation, etc. We think we are so important. It is You that is all-important. It is You that is worth obedience. It is You that is worth my life. 

Further reading this week:

For more on this see God Glorified by Working Obedience in Us

You might also like Are You Listening to God? By Oswald Chambers.

Or you find this short devotion helpful – Obeying From the Heart by Jim Cox.

Will you take one step in obedience this week? One that requires saying no to yourself. Does it bring joy?

I might explore this further in the near future…