Girls,
I am in the throws of writing my second book and I need some help. The subject of the chapter I am working on is obedience, heavy huh? As I was writing the Lord prompted me to invite thoughts on the subject. I am not going to lead you on how to answer. I am asking for honest answers, not the Sunday School answer. You can post in the words or in sentence form. If you don't want to sign you name, just post anonymously. The more responses the better, so will ask some of your friends to pop over to my blog to post?
Here is the question:
What do you think of when you hear the word obedience?
Thanks. I look forward to your thoughts and including them in the chapter.
Have a Jesus Day! Doesn't His name just make you smile.
Here is the question:
What do you think of when you hear the word obedience?
Thanks. I look forward to your thoughts and including them in the chapter.
Have a Jesus Day! Doesn't His name just make you smile.
35 Comments:
When I think of the word "obedience", I think of complete surrender. Obedience means I have to do it whether or not I feel like it, whether or not it will be painful, whether or not it is out of my comfort zone. Obedience is an act of total submission, total trust in the sovereignty of my Lord, knowing that He sees the bigger picture and He is God and I am not.
Hope this helps!
Wendi (with an "i")
Oohh! I'm the first one! Oh, my!!
Obedience to me is trusting in God enough to drop whatever you are doing (from your job to your committments) and following Him. You can't run and hide if you want to find out what His perfect plan for your life is.
And am I obedient? I'm a work in progress! To be honest, I will probably be a work in progress for the rest of my life! I love Him so much, and I want to follow His dream for me.
Wendy, hope that helps!! Have a great day, my friend!!
Love ya,
Susan
Hi, Wendy.
When I think of "obedience" I think about trust. Trust in God. Trusting His ways are perfect.
Scripture tells us that obedience is born out of love. We love Him because He first loves us. We show our love for Him by obeying His Word and His specific instructions to each of us personally, which always line up with scripture.
Obedience is a love response to a completely trustworthy and perfect God.
Amazingly, He blesses us with intangible, but palpable, peace and joy in our hearts when we obey Him.
He gave His life for us. He saved us. He redeemed us. He wants us to obey Him for His glory and His purposes and our good. Then He blesses us for obeying Him. Really rather gracious, isn't He??
Praying for your book, Wendy! Can't wait to read it when it is released! :)
Hi Sharon
My book is my own right now. I am not sure when God wants to go "public."
Wendy
Obedience to me is when you are willing to be a doer of the Word.By being a doer of the word there is a sense of freedom.
I have learned through obedience He just doesn't want our worship and living sacrifices on Sundays. But He wants our worship and living sacrifices daily.
Hi Wendy,
Every time I hear the word "Obedience" I immediatly think of something a friend said to her daughter that I have often said to mine.
"Obedience brings blessings and disobedience always hurts."
We may not experience the blessings or the hurt right at the time of our actions. But both statements are truth.
Blessings and hurts are not always concrete either...sometimes it is just how you feel afterwards.
We have found these words to live by.
OH, I have been praying for your Dad. Thanks for the update.
Pamela R.
I am going to share my experience with obedience. When God called us to adopt, it took some thought to come on board with that. Then when I was completely on board, we had to wait and wait. I kept thinking,God I am doing what you want, why are you dragging this out so long? Then I would start to question whether we were doing the right thing or not, and everytime I did, I would have someone question me and say, but I thought..... and I would go GRRRRRRR. Who wants to be questioned when they are feeling questionable themselves on their belief if they are doing God's will or not. Everytime I would want to put a deadline on it, I will only do this for so much longer, then something would happen and I would get revved up then another delay would happen. God used that almost 4 years as a valuable teaching lesson for me as I am a hard learner. But in the end, we got two beautiful boys that we love more than anything and know for a fact that they were meant to be ours all along. Being obedient was not easy but it sure is rewarding and these guys teach me new lessons all the time! God believes I am still teachable! Sorry so long. Sandy B.
obedience *dot dot dot :)* obedience, my friend, is like a green light. you don't stop in front of it (like you would if it were red) or take your foot off the accelerator (as if it were yellow). obedience is full fledged petal to the metal green light without second thought. *prepare yourself for the depth of this simile* traffic lights are typically on timers, right? so if you approach one light with caution and throw off your timing for the successive lights (new opportunities to be obedient) you miss out. not saying that you won't have new chances, you just are on a different route headed for the same destination, but it is going to take a lot longer... saavy?!?
plus, green lights make you smile... all green lights make for a very happy trip... that's all i'm saying :)
loves~
and maybe that was more metaphorical... but i used the word "like" (mass confusion in head right now) let's just call it an analogy... yeah, an analogy :)
Obedience = obey = I don't get to do what I want. I have to do what *you* (whoever I am obeying) want.
Even when God is the *you*, it sometimes doesn't make it easier.
It's easy to obey someone who says "eat this cookie." It's harder to obey when it is brussel sprouts.
Wendy,
I am excited about your book.
Obedience is doing what He tells me to do. Like Peter when He let the nets down for a catch, he did it not because he foresaw the abundance of fish he would haul in. He lowered the nets because Jesus told him to do that. Rarely do we have a clue of the importance of our obedience. Sometimes when I want to question His directions, I remind myself Jesus is not like the teacher in school that gave you busy work for fun, their fun. His directions always have purpose.
I was thinking about you today. Lord, please help Wendy with your words for this book. May it bring you Glory! Amen.
Wendy,
That word use to give me the hiby jeebies. It was so taken out of context as a child. Then obedience in my marriage made me think submission. But obedience to God now that makes me nervous sometimes because of the unknown. If someone took my life right now and said "Diane, be obedient to your husband in this divorce and do what society expects", then I have some problems. But when the Lord says to me "Diane, be obedient to my ways and trust me with all your heart", then it makes me want to do it.
If obedience is given to me in a power play or demanding way I tend to rebel. Given with love and understanding I am different.
Hope this helps,
Diane
I always think of the verse in 1 Samuel 15:22, specifically "...to obey is better than sacrifice...". I suppose this always comes to my mind because sacrifice seems so much easier to me. Because obedience is always a heart issue, not about actions. My actions can be "right," but if my heart is not, then I am just being a hypocrite. Ouch!!! I often think about this in the context of Cain and Abel. Both had the same actions, but God looks at the heart. Abel's heart was right before God, while Cain was having a struggle with sin in his life. True obedience flows from a heart of love and trust in our Heavely Father. True obedience never counts the cost, but will surrender to God in everything, i.e. Abraham and Isaac. True obedience is the outward manifestation of the inward reality of my relationship I have with God the Father. Obedience springing up from a heart that knows that God will do me good and not evil will be contented, peaceful, and loving. Anything less than that is just playing church, of which I have been guilty. This may seem like a strange answer, but it is the way I view it!
In His Love and Hope,
Karan
I love you answers. Keep them coming!
All of the above are great and I agree. What can I add?
Take actions even when I'm afraid because I know He is in my midst. Obedience means faith in His promises. Trust in His love. Walk in His will. Listen to His voice. Talk His talk and walk His walk. Obedience means forget what is behind and focus on what is ahead.
I'm preaching to myself. Because I can use some of these anedcdotes.
Walking through a desert. That's what I think of.
Rarely is it hard for me to be obedient when life is lush and green and full of the promise of Eden. But when the heat hits, I know that my faith is being tested. It's then that I am refined, and my friend,
I know the heat right now. The sand is my portion, but my God is my strength. I will walk it through to the other side, knowing that obedience is the choice I must make to come out unscathed by the enemy.
peace~elaine
When I first hear the word obedience I want to run - away - as fast as I can.
Disobedience brought punishment and pain.
As I have grown to know my Lord, obedience has brought FREEDOM!!!
It has not been an easy journey, nor have I reached the pinacle of this journey, yet today obedience is refreshingly peaceful.
Blessings to you on your new book adventure!
Cindy
Obedience is so not something I can do! I can't have patience with those who are driving so slow in traffic, I can't love the unlovable, I can't forgive the people who keep hurting me.
I was not created to be obedient! I was created to be completely dependent on a God who can turn all my "can'ts" into His works of grace!
When I lay down my "can'ts" then I can hear Him say..."I Can"
On Purpose
I love your response!
You send your dog to "obedience school" when you can't make it behave. It is one of the first things I think of when I hear the word. Dogs have this look in their eyes when you try to make them obey- almost like they are smarter than you. When I am presented with a choice to be obedient, I think I look at God the same way. "I am smarter than You. I know the right choice and THAT is so not it." So maybe God has to keep me on a tighter leash than most <3
Has that anonymous writer met my dog? She described her perfectly. :-)
Wow! You do know how to ask loaded questions, don't ya? I had to take some time to think about this question before I would attempt to answer.
To be honest when I hear the word "obedience" I become stressed and worried. Because it is the desire of my heart to follow the example set for me by Christ, I truly desire to be obedient to His word. Yet, I struggle with my very real human sin nature.
I have noticed, when dealing with disobedience in my three-year-old son, I find myself realizing that the behavior I am trying to correct in him, when the behavior is broken down to root cause, is something that I need to address in myself as well.
For example; over the weekend I know I told me son many, many times to, "use your words to express your anger." At one point I thought, "Why dear Lord can't he just follow directions?" And immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me and said, "Why don't you, my daughter?" (Okay, so now the world knows that in our home we are struggling with the appropriate way to express our anger. This is something that I did not learn as a child. In my world I was not allowed to express anger, I learned to stuff it down inside. I now realize that expressing anger, upset or dissapointment, in the correct manner, can be very beneficial. Therefore, I am trying to break free from my old patterns of coping and teach my son appropriate methods of expressing his feelings.)
Yet as we work through this and other struggles, I realize how difficult it can be to break old patterns of disobedience and replace them with obedience.
But, I think that God uses these opportunities to increase our faith and dependence upon Him. If I could be obedient in all things and follow His book of instruction to the letter, I believe that my temptation would be to come to the conclusion that I don't need God. And that is NOT a place I would want to go.
I am trying to be thankful and praise God during the trials and the celebrations of life. It is all about Him, every good thing comes from Him, and learning to be more obedient each day is just another way for me to show Him that I love Him.
I pray that God will bless your efforts as you work your way through this book, and that He will use your hands to reach out to those who seek to know Him more.
Blessings and Hugs!
When I was little, I would do the wrong thing and know it. After doing it, I would go to my mother and pop my own hand saying, "No-no." Then, without direction, I would go and sit in the time-out chair. I was disobedient in the action, but I was obedient through the punishment. I knew the repercussions for my disobedience so well that I could inflict them on myself. Not saying that I make a practice of disobedient behavior- I just think I am more prone to notice my flags and patterns of disobedience moreso than my path of obedience. Hope that helps~
Obedience is doing the next right thing, over and over again.
Oh Wendy,
The Lord gave me a message yesterday about obedience. Sometimes we put what He tells us to do on our list but it lingers on our list a long time. Read my post today (Turtle Tuesdays) if you can. He had a Word for me and others.
Barbara
Obedience to God? Honest worship.
Obedience to God is an act of love. We obey Him because we love Him. That is how I explain it to my kids. The life of obedience means the willingness to make others uncomfortable, the willingness to not fit in and the willingness to admit mistakes and change.
Obedience changes the heart too. I used to obey God because "He said so", and I didn't like the consequences of disobedience, but then it became an act of love.
Obedience means a life of blessings, in all sizes. Deuteronomy 28.
Thanks for asking!
Lisa
I guess obedience has always seemed to me like "the right thing to do". It may not be something I want to do in the beginning, but in the end it's always something I'm glad I did. You can never go wrong when you are walking in obedience with the Lord! On the other hand, there is always something to regret when you disobey Him.
Obedience is more than just a "better to be safe than sorry" issue - it's the only way to find life in all its fullness, just as He intends it to be.
Obedience is laying it all down before God - even when it scares the wits out of you - then paying attention to that still small voice in your mind and pulling at your heart, and then putting one foot in front of the other to follow Him wherever He's calling you. Obedience is giving it all up for God even when you're not sure where it will take you. Obedience can be scary, but SUCH an adventure when you see the fruit and results of following God. Obedience is seeing the smile on another's face, or seeing the changed heart of someone to whom you've been ministering. Obedience is a breath of fresh air.
YOU just make me smile...and so does He.
Obedience...listening to that whisper in your head and actually doing what He says...even when you don't want to.
Obedience is God's way to check and see if I truly trust him. Not doing what I want, but what he says. When I do this, I know that I have truly surrendered to his will.
new here... linked to your blog from the P31 devo from today. Good.
I think I may answer in just a stream of thoughts/words because it's still early yet and I'm deficient on coffee.
Obedience... something I struggle with... first time... my KIDS... without question... not always knowing or understanding "why"... comes out of love...
Another thought...
I am learning that to me, obedience comes out of trust. I can more easily obey when I completely trust that God does not act or ask anything of me that is outside of His character. He is completely and perfectly good and loving. He will not give me a task that is not consistent with His love for me or his desire for good for me. If I can just TRUST that, then obedience is easy. The reality is that I don't think I always trust that, therefore, it's much more difficult because I want to take over.
Oh, I could go on and on...
But I'll stop and go grab my cup of coffee.
Blessings.
~Donna
Great question Wendy...I'm still meditatining on my response. Just wanted to thank you for posting it and the blessing I received in reading the responses.
I am deep into the journey of learning to walk in faith - God is filling my heart with so much - this blog was another piece he placed for me.
Thanks,
"Learning to walk in faith - one step at a time".
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your anecdote. I never do this but I am compelled to comment. I get an overwhelming sense that what God meant by the "real" thing is that you must seek the full truth and not an imitation. You will find that the full truth lies within the Roman Catholic Church (I can almost hear your gasp). Just ask the Lord to guide you to the truth and to give you the courage to do the research. Maybe read Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid and/or look up Scott Hanh. During the past three years my God has guided me to the truth and I pray that he do the same for you.
Your sister in Christ,
Joanna
Obedience: doing what I have been told to do
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