This summer, I have been led to study "obedience" during my morning bible study and quiet time. God has shown me areas of my life where I am and have been disobedient to Him. This is a hard thing to look at. [sigh] But it is important that I see this. So, I have been seeking what God say in His Word about being obedient. There is plenty!
God has been showing me that it ALL is about obedience to Him. I have heard it said that as a Christian, our goal is to get to heaven and take as many as we can with us. That's not a bad goal, but I think it is somewhat incorrect. I think our goal should be complete obedience to God and His will. I do think that leading others to know Christ is a result of that obedience, but by having obedience to God being our first goal, it takes the pressure off of us to figure out how to make this happen. We just need to follow orders.
The first step in obedience to God is learning to listen. We cannot follow God's commands, if we do not clearly know what they are. So, how do we hear God? We can pray AND listen. We can read God's living Word. This is a powerful combination.
The second step is, of course, doing what God has said to us. I believe it is only through the power of God that we have the ability to obey. It is hard! Daily, we need to re-commit ourselves to God, offering our lives as living sacrifices.
I am not sure what I expected to discover exactly through the process of my study, but I have been a bit surprised by the areas of my life that God has brought to my attention. The first has been by weight/health. I am overweight. This didn't happen overnight, but has creeped up throughout our 22 years of marriage and bearing six children. But I am nearly double what I weighed in high school and at the beginning of my marriage. I have tried to drop the weight off by eating healthier, but have never been very successful and have just resigned myself to the fact that this is who I am at least during this busy season of my life. I don't have time to deal with dieting and exercise. God has convicted my that the fat that I carry around on my body is sin. It is the result of disobedient living. It is sin that I cannot even hide. It is there all around me. It weakens my testimony and my ability to serve God. So, I am committing myself to being obedient in what I put in my mouth and how I nourish my body. God has given me a plan. He has led me to steps/habits for weight loss and better living. I won't go into it now, but it means eating less quantity, cutting out the junk food and sugar, and increasing fruits and vegetables. Eventually, I know God is going to lead me to more activity and exercise, but we are taking one step at a time.
The other area that God is teaching me about obedience is in honoring my husband and being the helper that God created me to be for him. Many months ago, I put a book on hold at the library called "Created to be his Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. I had nearly forgotten about it because it had been so long ago. Well, it was finally my turn to check this book out at the library. I figured that since I had waited so long for this book, I would not be able to renew it when it comes due because others have it on hold, as well, so I decided to set aside my obedience study and jump onto this for the next few weeks. Little did I realize how this fits right in. God's timing is perfect. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that I got my hands on this book in the midst of my obedience study. So I am learning what it means to be my husband's helper according to God's Word. I didn't even realize how much work I need in this area.
I'll sign off with a verse from my study this morning:
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
Psalm 37:3-8
