Sunday, August 24, 2008

Truth in Obedience

Obedience is always a hard topic. We want to be obedient, but often, our flesh screams out that we disobey. Or, perhaps we are of the kind that outwardly obeys, but inwardly grumbles. I want to talk about that.

I'm going to throw this out here, but I don't think that obeying outwardly and not inwardly is obedience at all. Take me for example. When I was a teenager, I LOVED the dramatic sigh. It was the sigh that said, "I'm doing this because you are making me, but I don't really want to." How many of you out there have been grounded for the infamous sigh?!? I have! We all were grounded because true obedience is not just obedience in the physical, but also in the emotional and spiritual.

True obedience requires submission of oneself before the one that you are obeying. If they are your parents, it means doing your chores without whining. That shows them that you obey them because you respect and love them. I feel the same goes for the Lord.

True love and submission shows itself in the small things you are asked to do. Do you grumble about it, whine and complain that it's hard? Or, do you submit before the Lord and ask for help, because you can't do it on your own? One is true obedience, the other is simply a facade of obedience.

The tape picture up above? I SO did not want to put that tape over my mouth. It felt dumb and stupid. Plus, I am a person who HATES to rock the boat. Like I told someone one time, I'd rather get out of the boat then risk rocking it. Protest to me, of any form, feels like rocking the boat. I hate it. However, I do realize that as a Christian, I have a responsibility, personally, civically, and spiritually. Being obedient sometimes means rocking the boat. So, I put the tape over my mouth. I felt that it was important to the Lord in that moment and that it was a small act that cost me nothing. It's important for me lately to make the right choice to obey the Lord.

Does this mean I'm perfect? No. I hold the reigning title of the Complaining Queen of America. However, I've taken the first step. I realized this was a problem in my life. ACTUALLY, rather the Lord so kindly pointed out this was a problem in my life. The Lord and I are now actively working on it.

This all is something the Lord has been teaching me lately. If you haven't caught the drift of the blog for the past couple of days, let me sum it up:

I believe the Lord wants to move in a mighty way here in America. I believe that America as a whole has forgotten the true meaning of obedience, personal sacrifice, and submission before someone who's great than ourselves. There is someone greater than ourselves, someone whose plans are higher, ways are ever so much more holy than ours. There is someone who is perfect and it isn't me. It isn't you either.

We've got to get past this "it's all about me" mentality in order for the Lord's work to be done. We've got to submit our plans, motives, concerns, fears, hopes and very lives to the Lord. He doesn't ask for a part of us, He asks for everything. It's a hard release, but so very sweet when you realize HIS will is being done in your life instead of yours.

Yes, please.

1 comment:

Bethany said...

Yes, yes and yes.

Agreed.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails