Obedience

When you have two children who are only 11 months apart in age, there seems to be one argument that pops up multiple times throughout the day. I’ll hear crying or whining, then the statement, “Dad! (Insert child’s name here) won’t play what I want to play!” I stopped counting years ago the number of times this is said in the course of a week. What usually happens, is that I must instruct them on taking turns as to what board game they will play, what imaginary role they will play in make-believe, or what TV show they will watch. I had zero grey hairs in my beard just a few years ago, but I genuinely believe those grey hairs started taking up real estate due to these arguments.

My favorite one to this day was hearing my son say that his sister wasn’t being fair. When I probed into the situation, I quickly found out that he was mad because they were playing family, and his sister wouldn’t let him be the baby. She said she was going to play the baby and declared that she would be the baby forever. Of course, this sent my son into hysterics. How dare she pull the forever card on playing the part of the baby!!! Doesn’t she understand that the role of the baby is the most premiere and excellent part that anyone could play in the game of family?!?!?! Just the sheer pomp and circumstance that comes with being the baby should never be taken for granted. I kid you not when I say that I actually had to tell them that they needed to take turns being the baby. I said this with all seriousness, while inside my inner voice was saying, “You’re both acting like babies!!!” Thankfully, they were good with taking turns, and peace was brought back to the Kelley household.

In all seriousness, how often do you think that God is looking down on us, at our selfishness, our greed, at our disobedience and thinking, “You’re acting like babies.” Children struggle to see the big picture. They want what they want now. That’s typical child-like behavior. Unfortunately, as adults, we can act the same way. Most of us lack patience, and God is notorious for playing the long game. He does things in His time, not ours. One of my favorite lines from the Lord of the Rings is from the wizard Gandalf. He’s just been told that he’s late, and his response is priceless. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to". Take out the word “wizard” and put “God” in there, and you have truth. God just simply knows better. He has a better way for us to live, think, and thrive. We have only one responsibility…obedience. 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke 11:28

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13–16

To God, obedience equals love. When Moses was giving the commandments to the people of God, his first command was to love God.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4–5

If we are to love God with everything, that means obedience is the response. So many times, we think we have the wisdom to live in the way we see best. Unfortunately, many times, that doesn’t work out well. When it comes to my children, I’ve learned that love comes from trust. When my kids are uncertain about trust, they struggle to love. However, when they’ve built trust up, they love unconditionally. Do we trust God? Do we trust Him enough to love Him unconditionally? Are we even giving Him a chance? Living obediently in the path that God has set before us isn’t just life-giving, it’s freedom. We have freedom in knowing that we don’t have to make uneducated choices. We simply ask, “Is this what God would want me to do?” We don’t have to play the guessing game of what’s right and what’s wrong. God’s Word gives us those answers. For many, this feels like God has his thumb on us. It’s almost like we’re slaves. Whether we like it or not, we’re all slaves to something. We just need to decide who our master is.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Romans 6:16–19

Obedience isn’t a thumb being pressed down on us. It’s a key unlocking shackles that hold us down in sin and death. Before Christ, we have no hope. Our future isn’t secure. We are led by our emotions, our desires, and our lack of wisdom. Once Christ enters the picture and we live in obedience to His teachings, we have hope and a secure future. We now have the ability to walk in confidence. We know Who we follow is right and just, and if we want to see the best example of this, we need to look no further than Jesus Christ.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8

It’s obedience that saved us through the cross, and it’s obedience that gives us freedom today. We need to quit arguing over what role we play, and instead relish the title that the Lord has given us….Child of God.