Answer this question…

“Obedience is a choice between our limited knowledge

and God’s unlimited knowledge and power.”

~L. Tom Perry

Scripture:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

~Matthew 7:21

Perspective:

Obedience is defined as compliance with an order, request, or law, or submission to another’s authority; in the Bible it refers to the submission to God’s authority, to His laws and Word.

Obedience to God’s commandments and Word is your responsibility; the outcome is God’s.  Many believers attend Church, they are hearers of the Word, the box is checked, but not all are doers of the Word.  Contemplate your actions beyond your time in Church…are you a hearer or a doer of God’s Word?  The honest answer to that question is significant to your personal journey with Him toward your life in eternity.  God knows your heart, so there is no point in trying to convince yourself or anyone else that you are doing what’s right.  This is a question you must explore in order to arrive at the true answer.  Then you and only you can decide what you should do more or less of based on that answer.

One part of this answer comes from how you communicate with and worship God.  Do you pray daily?  God actually commands us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Pray as if you are talking to your father, who loves and cares for you more deeply than anyone else can, as if you are talking to your best friend, for God cares about all parts of your life no matter how small or insignificant they seem to you.  God requires us to act first and then He will respond accordingly.  And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Luke 11:9).  Your relationship with God is not meant to be passive, but rather active and initiated by you!  You must be persistent and patient.  God wants to see if you will keep praying even if answers do not happen or come immediately.  He is testing and growing your faith.  God also wants us to read and meditate on His Word, so that we know Him, His son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who lives in each of us, as well as His expectations of us.  Another way to worship God is through Christian music.  As I learn and grow in God He seems to send me the perfect song for where I am and what I need, a song that draws me in and makes me want to listen to it over and over, a song that seems to transform me and my faith.

Whether or not you step out in faith is another part of your answer.  God will not do what you can do, but rather only what you cannot do, so that you know it was Him working with and for you.  He requires us to pursue what we need to and should do, as well as what He has laid on our heart to do.  If you are not praying and listening for God’s voice how will you know what he has laid on your heart?  If you do not study His Word, how will you know what He expects from you?  God requires us to take risks based on our love for Him and our faith in Him.  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).  Proverbs is a great book to read in order to understand what God’s expectations of us are.

Another factor that will help you answer that question and test your own obedience to God is whether or not you worry about a million things you can’t control or you do all you can and then trust God to handle what you can’t?  Worry does not solve anything; all it does is rob us of our peace in the present!  God’s Word says, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  I would be willing to bet that most of your worries have not happened.  I spent my life worrying about losing my mom, I am not sure why, but I was consumed with that specific worry.  She lived to be 83 and there was nothing else I could have done that would have caused her to live any longer.  I did the best I could every single day to love, care for, and protect her, I did my part, the rest was up to God.  Looking back, I realize I spent a great deal of time in unnecessary worry at a time when I had an immature relationship with the Lord.  We are commanded to lay our worries at the cross, to give them up to God because of our trust in His plan for our life.  Doing so took much effort and commitment on my part but was so very freeing.  Today, I do my very best and I leave the rest in God’s capable hands, even when things don’t feel comfortable to me, I trust Him!  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).  God has a plan for each of us that our mistakes cannot derail but that our faith can put into action.

Another area to examine as you seek the answer to the question, are you a hearer or a doer of God’s Word, is do you follow His two greatest Commandments: to love Him above all else, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then secondly to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12: 29-31).  That is a question only you can answer and something most of us can probably improve upon every day.  How do you love others?  Do you do what feels most convenient or what makes you look good to others, or do you push yourself out of your comfort zone and love those who may feel the hardest to love?  Loving others is probably my biggest challenge of all God commands us to do.  People will disappoint us, hurt us, and let us down; we are to love the person and not the sin and so we must persist in working to do so, despite its difficulty.  Being the best version of our self is a lifelong process, that is the way God intended it.  He knows we are not perfect but that we can learn, grow, and change as we seek to be more like Jesus day after day.  In fact, God gives us lots of challenges, or opportunities, to do the right thing and to grow as human beings and in our faith each day.  Our trials have a purpose, they allow us to lean on and trust in God, which leads to a growing faith in and love for Him.  Our relationship with the Lord grows through intentional nurturing and over time just as all our earthly relationships do.  Make a commitment and persevere!    

Life Applications:

>Take the 15-minute challenge!  Give the first 15 minutes of each day to God, pray for 5 minutes, make sure to always start with gratitude; read the Bible for 5 minutes; and listen to worship music for 5 minutes!  Work to add to those 15 minutes as you go through your day.  One of my favorite places to pray and worship God is when I am alone in my car.

>>Answer this question honestly: are you a hearer or a doer of God’s Word?  Be honest with yourself, write down your evidence under each category.  Where are you lacking?  What do you need to add more of or take away so that your actions are pleasing to God?  What must you do for Him to say “well done my good and faithful servant” when you stand before Him someday?