To be obedient there has to be a desire to follow the voice of the one speaking. In order for me to fully surrender my will and my own agenda to the Lord I must first believe and trust that is the best option for me.
It is not always easy for me to believe the Lord has my best interest in mind. Sometimes I look at what is happening around me and I cannot see the Lord in the mix and become too focused on whatever is happening instead of focusing on the Lord. This makes obedience hard, if I cannot see the Lord then hearing Him will be difficult as well which makes obedience even harder. So what is the solution?
It is simple. In the middle of the chaos I should spend less time trying to think my way to a solution on my own and quiet myself the best I can. Ask the Lord to show Himself and do so until I know He is with me.
I can only obey if I am listening to the voice if the person speaking. In order to listen I must be quiet. This is an important part of prayer. I cannot always go to the Lord and talk, I must also sit in silence and listen to what He is saying to me. Then His directions are heard and there is room for me to ask for clarification if I need it.
The first step to obedience is listening. The second step is going.
If the Lord tells me to go to work 30 minutes early, I need to go in 30 minutes early. The problem that sometimes occurs is I want to know why. The why is not always important, if the Lord says move that should be enough of a reason why. There are other times however, that knowing the why is important, in those times the Lord provides that.
The first step to obedience is listening. The second step is going. The third step is acting.
If this is where I have to really rely on the Lord and not myself. I am reserved person and often like to do life on my own. The reality is that is not how the Lord called us to live our lives, after all He did call us to Himself and created us to be with Him. The lie is I can do this life thing on my own and I only need to be with people in a surface level way, nothing deeper. That lie has been one the Lord has been trying to uproot a lot lately. It is hard but it is so necessary – I say that to say, often when the Lord is asking me to do something it involves me being with other people in one way or another.
I get anxious over the simplest things and I try to avoid communication and contact with others. In some ways I have grown but I know I still have a lot of work to do. In some cases I choose not to obey because I feel more comfortable being by myself or with someone I am comfortable with, than following the voice of the Lord. I need the Lord to come into my heart in this area.
Obedience needs to become something I am more okay with. I need to become more okay with being uncomfortable. More okay with stepping into a room full of strangers and walking to a seat with my head up than being disobedient. I need the Lord to help me see that obedience is so much better than being comfortable, for when that becomes my day-to-day truth, I will be able to grow in faith, trust and reliance in the Lord.
I will leave us with a prayer:
Father, I thank you for your love and your guidance. Would you forgive me for the times I choose to be disobedient? Would you forgive me for thinking I know me better than you know me? Would you forgive me for choosing to be comfortable instead of choosing growth? Would you cleanse my mind of every lie that tells me disobedience is worth the sacrifice of being obedient? Would you continue to change my understanding of obedience? Would you continue to open my eyes to see your will and your way? Would you open my ears to hear your voice that I may follow its sound? Father would you help me to be better with being with you and your people?
I pray and ask all of these things in your Son Jesus' name,
Amen