While obedience is very important to us as Christians, especially as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families, it can sometimes be confusing to understand, because it’s such a paradox. One of the FAM Fellowship members recently shared what the Lord put on his heart about how obedience can be misconstrued and become a burden, which led to a great discussion about obedience. But obedience is not a burden to bear, even though it is something we have to do! And it is NOT something we can use to manipulate the hand of God to act on our behalf, even though it causes Him to act on our behalf! So it’s no wonder understanding obedience can be so confusing, which is why we have to be well grounded in the Word, and why it’s a good thing the Lord warns us that His ways and thoughts are so different and higher than ours. So here’s what the Bible tells us about WY we obey:

John 14:15
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:24
He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

So even though our obedience is motivated by love, we are blessed and rewarded as a result. In fact, Deuteronomy 30 says obedience is a matter of choosing life or death, blessings or curses. Then in Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus tells us that all the law is wrapped up in loving the Lord above everything else, and loving others as we love ourselves. It says “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Obedience is often a prerequisite for certain blessings in the Bible. For instance, when the Bible tells us to commit our way to the Lord, that’s obedience, and Psalm 37:5-6 promises Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And when it tells us to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, that’s obedience too, and Proverbs 3:5-6 assures us Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 119 is a wonderful book to study for a much better understanding of obedience and the importance it has in our lives as Christians, especially how it brings about a lot of awesome benefits and blessings! So study it, and you’ll certainly be blessed and encouraged! And here’s Dan’s post and some of the responses about obedience and how it blesses us.

I just want to share a couple of thoughts. As we stand for the restoration of our marriages and our families, remember that no person, no obstacle, no dream, no problem, no fear and no issue in our lives are bigger than our God. If God wants something to happen, nothing can stop it from happening. His faithfulness and purpose will always prevail. So we must always guard our minds against any thoughts that would lessen the reality of His greatness and power; the realization that God is God. Jesus has asked us to do something; to be obedient, believe, trust and have faith in Him. And that’s not meant to make obedience a burden to us, but so we can reap the joy and peace He has given us – by His grace. I pray that as we stand, we will continue to take our thoughts captive and align our thoughts and our actions with those of Christ. We need to live our lives as though Christ is walking with us, because He is. Be blessed as we wait upon the Lord to manifest our healed marriages in our sight.

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NLT)

“Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.
Luke 6:46-47 (MSG)

Response by Joe on June 19th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Well Dan, we’re on the same page tonight! I’ve been reminded all day today that God chose us to stand for our marriages; not for our marriages, or our wives, but so that when others see our dedication to the Lord, the nonbelievers around us will be amazed by His mercy, grace, understanding and love. When we can walk with a smile and a hop in our step, and tell people that Jesus is our savior during these hard times, most people are shocked or in awe. This in turn has struck up many conversations that lead to people wanting to know Jesus, and I praise the Lord that my situation enables me to share the Lord with them. It is through us that His will is being done! I’m unsure where I read it, and I’m sure someone knows, but it has danced in my mind and on paper everywhere today; It is the common man that God chooses to do the greatest work, not a king, someone famous, or a special ruler. If you look at the apostles, they were all just average everyday people like us. We are meant to be here, and we are meant to share our trials, tribulations, and praises all day long. This is to be done to save someone we know from the darkness of this world, and bring them into the light. God Bless all of you. I will learn my verses better sooner or later, I promise; it is with His Word we can fight the lies of Satan.

Response by Thursa on June 20th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Making “obedience a burden” is exactly what I think I was trying to do in a way, Dan! Making my list and checking it twice, I was making a gift from God, a burden to bear. I still don’t understand why for sure! HA…yes I do, I just figured it out, duh!!!

Satan really has tried to tell me I was unworthy and wasn’t good enough to receive all the blessings God has waiting for me. Not that I didn’t think God could do it at all, I knew He could! But I listened to Satan in the fact that He wouldn’t do it for me?! That I would do something to make Him want to turn and run from me! HA…just as you said, God’s purpose and will will prevail no matter what! His grace IS sufficient and it is meant for me and everyone else here!!! Our obedience isn’t a burden at all. It’s a gift we are able to give to God, who has and will continue to give us so very much! And when we stumble, He doesn’t walk away; He just brings us closer! Wow…He is awesome!!!

I really would not change this time of trial for anything! It has become a wonderful opportunity, as I have gained and learned more than I ever thought. And now I have learned even more! Thanks again for sharing, Dan!

Response by Kathy in Oregon on June 20th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Dan, this is such an excellent post, and reminds me of a sermon that my pastor gave a few weeks ago on the law and gospel. Using his one-year old daughter as an example, the pastor said that, by law, he had a legal obligation to care for his daughter. However, he asked the congregation this wonderful question: Do I take care of my daughter because I have to or because I love her? After all these years of being a Christian, that one question gave me such clarity about how to view the law and the gospel together. That was God speaking! Yes, we have laws that the Lord has given us and expects us to keep. But do we keep those laws because we have to or because we love our Lord so much that we want to? It is love that motivates us to do what the Lord wants us to do. That’s why love is such a powerful weapon and so effectively defeats the enemy. And it’s not “our” love that does it, but rather His love — the love that He gave us freely, undeserved and unearned by us. God’s love does conquer all, and when we live in God’s love, His light shines through us like the noonday sun and is a beacon of hope for others, including our spouses. Let us all let God’s love shine through, for His love never fails and His perfect love casts out all fear! Thanks so much for sharing your post!

Posted Thursday, June 21st, 2007 at 11:46 pm in Seeds Of Faith.