Sunday, November 9, 2008

Thoughts on Obedience

I’ve been contemplating the concept of obedience lately…so I’ve tried to think of a concept for what each of the letters in the word OBEY mean to me, as I understand God’s Word.
Here’s what I came up with…

Observe
Bow to
Execute
Yes attitude

Observe – Proverbs 23:26 – I think one of the first steps in obedience is to simply sit back and observe what the Lord is showing me and telling me to do. Also, observing His ways as they play out in circumstances and the lives of those around me is a great way to realize He is a trustworthy Lord to follow. Which brings me to the next letter…

Bow to – II Chronicles 33:12-16 – I think obedience means bowing first to His ways, His leadership, His plan whether it makes sense to me or not. It is easiest to humble myself this way when I’m hurting, but necessary always. Without this humble attitude, I wonder if it is even possible to reach the next letter…

Execute – Ruth 3:5 – While I think God is absolutely looking for a willing, humble heart that observes His ways and leadership, it all comes down to execution – DOING what He tells me to do. The best of intentions don’t fulfill the act of obedience…

Yes attitude – Isaiah 26:8 – I have found that sometimes the easiest time to question God is right after having done something He has asked of me. Cause the truth is…even after an act of obedience, my heart often times may still be questioning Him about it. So, once again, whether it makes sense to me or not, I think it is necessary to have a heart attitude that tells Him Yes in order to complete this experience of fully obeying Him.

Further thought brings me to the conclusion that the above is both cyclical and concurrent. It should happen in this order and all at once…however that works…still contemplating…

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