The Big O

Obedience is a word we don't care very much for, that is unless it is in reference to children obeying their parents. Somehow the role of obedience seems natural, after all, one is the adult, and one is the child. One has more knowledge and demands more respect, the other is limited in understanding and in some ways subservient to the other. We get this, we agree with this. Then comes obedience to God. Suddenly, though we wouldn't disagree with the truth that we need to be obedient to God, we search for wiggle room, interpretation, excuses. What's behind that? the desire to be obedient not to God, but to our own personal happiness. Self-centeredness chokes out a desire for obedience and robs God of his rightful position and replaces him with ourself.
I know a lot of people who fear God, genuinely fear God. They are obedient to God, for a season. It doesn't last very long. At first they are all for it, going the distance, but then it fades. You see, you can never sustain obedience to God simply out of fear of who He is. It's not enough. Should it be? Yep. Is it? Nope. I've only seen sustained obedience to God last when their remains that healthy reverent fear of who God is and what God demands of us. At the same time, the linch pin in love. Those who love, really deep down in their bones love Jesus are obedient to Him. Jesus said that if you love me you'll keep my commands. He didn't say that if you are scared of me, reverent of me, or even awed by me that you would keep my commands, but only if you love me. To take it a step further, obedience can be summed up in two ways, (they might sound familiar...Jesus came up with it first) Love God Love Others. So, how do you know you are walking in obedience...

• you are demonstrating an increased capacity to love God
• you are demonstrating an increased capcity to love others
• you do what you already know God wants you to do (for example, God has already said that we are to tithe the first 10% of what we earn to Him. If you know this and aren't doing it, then you aren't walking in obedience)
• you are willing to do whatever God wants you to do in the future

The desire for every believer should be to be obedient to God, after all, if we're not obedient to Him, then functionally we are making something else are real God. The King deserves our obedience, and our love for Him demands it.