We’ve barely made a dent into the year and I already feel God challenging me to my core. He has begun His unraveling of my self-sufficiency and self-indulgence. I remind myself that God does not work in our parameters of time. A new year is of no significance. However, He has chosen this moment to teach me what it means to be a woman who is radically obedient to Him.
I once read a quote by Lysa Terkeurst. She echoed these thoughts: Did you know that radical obedience is just biblical obedience? We have been so far removed from the obedience that the Bible speaks of. So whenever we feel like we have been obedient to God in a certain situation, we immediately deem it as radical obedience, because oh well hey, I finally listened. I had a good chuckle and then just bowed my head and whispered, I’m so sorry Lord’
You may be surprised to discover that radical obedience is not really that radical. It is really biblical obedience – but we’ve strayed so far from biblical obedience that it now seems radical.
LYSA TERKEURST
I promptly sat up and asked the Lord where He would like me to be obedient. I thought of all the things that I could do that would be pleasing to God. I quickly learned that being obedient is not an assignment but rather an attitude of my heart. Obedience is saying YES to Him at every turn because that is the automatic response of my heart.
The challenge is that obedience wouldn’t become a persuasive factor in my walk with Christ but rather a pleasurable one. When we take great pleasure in being obedient, our hearts are positioned well.
Obedience is the love language of Christ. When my husband brings me coffee in bed, it pleases me. When I am obedient to Christ, it pleases Him. Hebrews 11 explains that it is impossible to please God without faith. Faith always requires a faith step. A faith step is an act of obedience. Faith and obedience go hand in hand. I cannot call myself a Jesus loving Christian and not listen to what God says. I cannot go to my husband and declare my great love for him and never display it. Once I declare it, I need to display it. Obedience is the way in which we display our love for God.
The beauty of our King is that as we are radically obedient to Him, He opens the doors for radical blessings over us. I’m not saying that everything will be easy now that we’ve chosen to be obedient to God. No, quite the opposite. We will face the enemy like never before. However, His blessings will be bountiful.
The journey of obedience is a personal one and an exciting one. As we surrender our hearts to God, we begin to discover a new depth in our walk with Christ. It’s a journey very few embark on.
As you feel the whispers of Christ, be sure to say: Yes Lord, I am listening.