Writing a Different Future #7 – Learning Obedience

Our obedience to God flows out of our relationship with God. As Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15).

We learn what God wants through his Word. The Holy Spirit makes it clear to us. We resolve to do it. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).

Even so, we may resist what we know God wants. We still want to be in control. We want to go in one direction while God wants us to go in another direction.

Obedience is like unclenching our fists before God and being willing to let him lead and guide us.

The psalmist understood the struggle: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Psalm 119:67).

One day my older brother Dan and I were playing around outside. I was probably seven or eight years old at the time.

Dan decided, seemingly in a show of strength, to lift the tongue of a wooden and metal framed trailer that our Dad owned.

I thought that it would be cool to run under the trailer and sit there while Dan lifted up the front end of the trailer and held it high up in the air.

What a neat place to hide under! What a feeling of elation!

My father saw what was happening, and he shouted out, “David, come here quickly!” I recall thinking to myself, I think I’ll surprise Dad and I’ll obey him quickly this time.

As soon as I dashed out from underneath the trailer, my brother’s strength gave out. He dropped the tongue of the trailer. And the trailer came crashing down.

By then I was standing safe by my father’s side.

Not all my childhood obedience was immediate. And even then my response showed that obedience was not the norm for me.

Yet I began learning obedience from a time I got it right.

What about you? Is there something God wants you to do or stop doing? Take a step today toward obedience.

~ Pastor Dave