Obedience is submitting to God’s authority and
recognizing the authority and direction of others, like our pastor, so that we
can be part of a healthy relationship. That relationship is with God…but also any
relationship with your spouse, children, boss, co-workers, friends, neighbors
may have some level of obedience involved. Even it is just obediently listening
to them, not being distracted. When someone really listens to another person,
they both feel loved. It strengthens the bonds of that relationship.
One of my favorite stories of my husband when he was
a little boy is that of when he had to do the dishes and he rebelliously said, “OK,
I’ll do the dishes, but I won’t do them good.” That is so typical of kids. I’ll
do it, but I’m not putting my whole heart into it so it’s not going to be done
right. That rebellion is just what God wants to remove from our lives. We are
to follow His Word and His ways, obediently. There was a time as a young wife
that I resented having to iron a shirt every morning for my husband—or even
just to have to starch and iron five shirts a week. But then one day in a Bible
study that I was attending we studied Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for
men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. So I was convicted that I should be
ironing my husband’s shirts as if I were ironing those shirts for Jesus
Himself. That changed my whole attitude…and it went beyond ironing shirts to
cleaning the house, fixing meals, and when I had children, even raising my
kids. Although sometimes I will admit that I lost sight of that vision…and my
obedience to the Lord! I am only human. I still need reminders that I need to
treat everyone as if they were Jesus.
Training
Tip – Be actively engaged in relationships that you have.
Keep God’s commandments, listen to Him, serve Him and cling to Him. Listen to
your spouse, children, parents, friends, co-workers, neighbors and others
around you with the same level of obedience that you would give to the Lord.
Lord – I submit
myself to You, asking You to help me keep Your commandments. Help me to not
only listen to You, but to attentively listen to those around me and serve them
as I would You.
All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible
(NASB) unless otherwise noted.
© 2013
by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
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