It Is Better to Just Obey

It is better to just obey. 

There you have it. Plain and simple. Take it and apply it to every part of your life and you will become what God has in his mind for you to be. 

My friend, The Grinch

I was talking the other day with a young man who shared his feelings of despair and worthlessness. He was filled with thoughts of giving up and running away. He didn't feel appreciated nor was he willing to try any longer to do what he was being asked to do. He saw no hope in ever being able to satisfy his boss and especially God. So he was willing to give up everything and run away.

I told him that God was interested in him learning to obey his boss so he could understand how to obey Him. I reminded him that Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep his commandments, his words, his sayings. The operative words there are "If we love Him" and we need to come face to face with the reality of whether we actually love God or not. It's not such a hard thing to determine. We know if we really love God or not by how we respond to what He asks us to do.

Just as with our earthly fathers and mothers, if they ask us to do something, we respond in love when we say "Yes, Sir" or "Yes, Ma’am" and go to do it. Even if we delay and then do it we are showing God we love him by being obedient to his commands. And when we fail to do what He asks us to do, we should immediately go to Him and ask forgiveness. If we find it hard to do that we reap the rewards of guilt and shame as we continue to disobey. Eventually, if we are His and we wish to be His, we will repent and turn towards God again. We find that He is available and willing to forgive us and receive us into His Grace again.

My friend, Mr. Scrooge

So what should a young man do if he feels the way that this one young man did? I suggested that he obey his boss, because his boss hired him to do the job of doing what he asked him to do. It doesn't matter how his boss wants him to do it. Even if this young man knew a better way, he should obey his boss and do the job he was given to do. Then after obeying, when there was opportunity, he could go to his boss and ask him about the manner in which the job was to be performed. He could discuss it with his boss in an obedient manner and find favor with his boss. Until he obeyed though, he didn't have the ground to stand on for discussing how to do the task at hand. His obedience showed his boss that he respected and loved him. He thought about it and decided to change the way he was responding to his boss. He wanted to love him.

He also decided not to run away from the matter with God. Obeying his boss was a part of the learning process of learning to love God. It is also the part of the process of learning how to love those around him. He was learning how to give up his life for God and others. He was learning how to care more for others than himself; to put others needs in front of his own.

So this young man has a new perspective on his life and does not want to run away any longer. He has found that life is in our Lord Jesus and to have that life he will need to learn how to love him. And loving him means he will needs to obey him. Thank God for his abundant mercy and grace that he pours out towards us. I thank God for this young man. I love him very much.

My son, Mr. Happy

Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Love those around you and love God with all your heart. You won't regret it. You may even find that in doing what you are given to obey, you may become wise and able to lead others to be obedient as well. Not that wisdom or leading others is the end of obedience. The end is to be in a perfect relationship with God and all that are around you. To love those who may not even give a hoot about you. Even love the ones who hate you. Take some time this season and practice loving. Love God and all he has put in your life.

Did I wish you a Merry Christmas?

Have a Merry, Merry Christmas!