The Example of Obedience

Being a parent, all though rewarding can be very challenging at times. One of the areas that can be challenging is obedience. So often I have had to answer the question of "Why?" and there are times when my answer is simply "Because I said so." Typically, that answer does not sit well with them, but I have to remind them that even though they do not like or understand something I have asked of them, they still need to be obedient. Life is that way in all things not just with children. To just do what is required means less trouble in the end.

In John 14:30-31, we read how Jesus was obedient and because of His obedience, we are the ones who benefit from it by having the forgiveness of sins. Jesus in chapter 14 is telling His disciples He is going to have to leave them soon. He will not leave them empty-handed- He will send the Spirit of Truth to help them. He also reminds them again of how important obedience is and what it means.

In verse 30-31, He says "I will not speak with you much longer for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on Me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My father has commanded Me. Come now let us leave.”

When I first read these verses they enormously impacted and caused me to look at my own life as they should for each person. To think Jesus here is talking about His death and knowing how He was going to die and was still willing to go through with it amazes me. For Him to say "But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me" is incredible. Even in my own life, there have been situations when I have directly disobeyed God in and sometimes even in the smallest of areas. I can honestly say at the time I knew better, and yet what I wanted was more important to me at that moment than doing what I knew I should have. Yet Christ out of His love for the Father chose obedience as an example, knowing it was His life that He was going to give up. So, for me, I am left with no excuses.

The question is “Why do we make things so hard?” Why can’t we out of our love for Christ follow His words to us? I suppose there are many reasons which include fear, rebellion, pride, selfishness, arrogance, and yet we are not asked to do anything compared to what He did. Look at the price He paid not only on the cross but also with all those that He met. Look at how many times people tried to kill Him, times when people flat out accused Him of doing wrong, and people saying he had a devil inside of Him! The list is endless really and yet for us we find it so difficult to do the easiest of things.

I have learned that obedience even in the smallest things is key. To say that we are always going to get it right would be a lie, but that is when forgiveness comes into play from our Father. To say obedience is going to be easy is not true- there are times when it is going to be hard. However, in the end, there will be even harder times ahead because of our lack of obedience, and that I have learned firsthand as well.

I know I am a person who will miss it, fall short, and yet my prayer is still to do all that Christ has asked of me and in the future will ask of me. To let the world, know that Christ is not only my heavenly father but also my example and one I want to resemble. I need daily grace and mercy to accomplish this, but it is still my daily goal.

How about you? Do you know the areas where you need to be more obedient? Are you aware of areas that Christ is trying to help transform you in? Whatever the reason is you have held back, know there is forgiveness, mercy, and grace that will follow you all the days of your life. You will never be left alone. If you choose to not obey God, your life will always seem out of control and lacking direction and purpose. You will also be lacking inner peace, the peace that God says comes from Him. One more important thing I have learned is that God is truly not trying to take things away from us, rather trying to remove the things that are harming and keeping us from moving forward. He is trying to give us something better than what he had before. For that to happen though we have to let Him be in control and be obedient in all things. To know that whatever He is removing in our lives, He will always replace it with something above and beyond what we had before. It's not as though God is up there being some big tyrant boss. He is trying to help us and helping us only comes when we fully surrender our will and control over to Him and in all things obey.  

Just as with our children it always benefits them when they listen and obey their parents. It's not that we as parents are out to ruin our children's lives, but that were trying to help shape and mold them. As parents, we know things they don't and obedience for them is key. When children don't obey, we can see how their choices have affected them and they then look back and think "Oh, I wish I would have just listened to my parents." The same is true for us as God's children as well. Think back to the moment you decided to accept Him into your heart and life. At that moment you trusted Him with your eternity, so why is it now so hard to trust him with your today?

So today and every day make your prayer resemble that of what Jesus said “But that the world must learn that I love the father and that I do exactly what my father has commanded me-

      Come now; let us leave”

From Gardens of Splendor by Gina Burns