Today, the word obey has a negative connotation. We view obedience as a forced, unwilling decision to do something we dont want to do because were afraid of punishment. But thats not the kind of obedience thats in Gods Word. Obedience in the Bible means this: love + trust + action. It starts with love, as Jesus said in John 14:15, If you love me, you will obey what I command. (NIV) Obedience comes from knowing that God loves you and you love him in return. A lot of people think obedience is about fearing God, but God wants us to see obedience to him as a relationship of love. And out of love comes trust. If you trust what God is saying to you, and you believe that he loves you, then that will lead to action. You need to have all three because action without love is just rote religion. And love without action is just mere talk. I read this in Rick Warrens daily devotional and wanted to share it with you. What a great reminder for me today. Its easy to know intellectually that God loves me. When I feel it and trust in Him then I am led to action. The first step is the hardest. It takes faith to take the first step. Once in motion I feel the power of the spirit continue to propel me forward. You might have heard the phrase Baby steps Bob... From the Bill Murray movie What about Bob. For me it means, get it into motion and just take the next step and then the next. Dont look to far ahead of yourself. Thats not your concern. Leave that to God. All our focus needs to be is on the now. This moment is all we have, so enjoy it. Be in joy! InJoy today my friend!! :-)
Posted on: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 11:10:36 +0000