Despite how you feel, honor God.

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him” (Psalm 128:1)

Winter 2020, I remember attending my first Purity & Peace retreat. All the ladies were fellowshipping with one another; eating, talking and laughing.  I was in the kitchen with the founder of Purity & Peace Victoria Rosa - Garcia and a couple other ladies I just met that day. Victoria was sharing a story with us of an experience she had that involved being obedient to God. See God had asked her to do something that she was not ready to do. She was face to face with deciding whether she wanted to be obedient to God’s instructions or not. Did she want to do it on God’s timing or her own?  Ultimately, Vickie made the decision, and she was obedient to fulfil what God was requiring of her. Although she did it, she fought it all the way up to the day it was fulfilled. Obedience is not about being comfortable. It is not our way but God’s way.

I remember that evening in the kitchen, Vickie said something so profound, and it had such an impact on me that I even wrote it down. Vickie said, “Despite how you feel, honor God”. It was the beginning of learning what obedience meant in my walk with God. This was my “aha” moment. Vickie shared with us it what not in her plans to do what God was requiring of her.  However, she chose to say yes, even when it was difficult. Vickie knew ultimately this would be an act of sacrifice and submission unto God.

Despite how you feel, honor God.

Obedience? What does that mean to me? How does obedience play a role in my life? What is the significance of obedience?

According to Merriam-Webster, obedience is defined as “an act or instance of obeying” or “the quality or state of being obedient” It can also mean compliance with a command, prohibition, or rule of duty.

In the bible, obedience is defined as “to hear God’s word and act accordingly”. It can also mean “to trust and to listen.”

As a follower of Christ, it can be easy to say you know and understand what your role is as a Christian. However, there is a big difference between knowing about Christ and walking in obedience to Him. To follow Christ well, we are committed and called to be obedient to his commands. But this is easier said than done. Our intentions are always to do good and follow Christ commands. However, we have a real enemy who would love to see you do the contrary. The enemy wants to see you be disobedient to what God has called you and I to do. The enemy is very cunning and the father of lies. That is why we must be diligent and God must increase in our lives.

Obedience is connected to trust and respect. Active obedience is trusting God at His word. Practically, this means that amid life’s trials, we stay obedient to what His word tells us to do, trusting His ways are better than ours. According to the word, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways, My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

There are rewards to our obedience. When we are obedient, our obedience leads to the miracles of God and displays His faithfulness. The act of obedience is our way of showing God that we fully trust Him and that we are giving Him full control of our circumstances and life.

Obedience is a beautiful way of humbling ourselves before our Father and saying, “Lord in my obedience to you, I trust you with everything and have faith that in anything you call me to, that it is part of your purpose for my life. And because of that, we simply cannot do life on our own. When we are obedient to the Lord, His love and grace is put on display as we become more like Him.

Keep yourself on the altar.

“Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him” (Deuteronomy 8:6)

John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”