I’ll bend over backwards to follow God. As hard as I try, I still fall short of the mark. Sometimes, I land flat on my back. Humbling! I can’t reach perfection this side of heaven, but I believe that God values my striving. He sees the love that drives the effort to please Him. Quite honestly, though, my acts of obedience are motivated by God’s love for me.
Obedience proves our love for God.
A friend once accused me of trying too hard. He said, Susi, you can’t earn your way into heaven by being good. I’ll admit I do try hard to please God with the way I live. That friend doesn’t understand where I’m coming from. The extent of my obedience reveals the degree to which I appreciate and respect what God has done for me.
As a child, we show love toward our parents when we willingly obey their rules, especially if done without hesitation or complaint. As a child of God, we show our complete commitment to him by patiently yielding our will to his will, despite opposition and ridicule. Our obedience is the greatest proof we can offer God to show our affection for him.
We do well to fill our minds with Christ’s commands, treasure them in our hearts and then will them into action. A heart of sincere love and gratitude for Christ’s gift of grace shows up as a disciplined path that assuredly leads to some struggle and sacrifice. Our obedience gives evidence of our love for God.
Obedience proves God’s love for us.
Another friend told me she admires my obedience. She said, Susi, if God tells you to do it, you do that thing. I can’t totally live up to that, but her kind comment caused me to consider more deeply why I give so much effort to knowing and following God’s commands.
Living for Christ brings a certain joy. As we grow in our experience of him, we come to value his presence more and more. We invite him into our daily life and we welcome his discipline. His guidance comforts and protects us. We share in a very tender and intimate relationship. These ever-present gifts remain hidden, but the unseen confidences of God’s favor are intensely rewarding.
During the most difficult of times, God arrives on the scene with his guideposts to enlighten and strengthen us. He confirms his pleasure with our acts of obedience. This serves to increase our love for his ways. As we obey them, we experience a sense of God’s love unknown to those who won’t bend over backwards to obey him.
If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15
Are you filling your mind with Christ’s commands? Treasuring them in your heart? Willing them into action? How much effort do you put into obeying God’s commands?
Susi Robinson Rutz 