The word “obedience” brings us back to childhood, doesn’t it? Having to submit to the will and the rules of our parents, “suffering” because we had to be home at 10 or couldn’t go to the movie everyone else got to go see. It was a bummer. We saw their rules as archaic, unreasonable and ridiculous, when truly they were meant to protect us, teach us, and provide us benefit if we followed them.
And now, as parents, we pray for obedience from our own children. Funny how the tables turn, isn’t it? Many of us didn’t enjoy being obedient, and neither do our children. But we see the value now in following the rules and examples that were set out for us. And in an ultimate turn of the tables, when you think of God as our Almighty Father, do you pause to contemplate your obedience to Him and His commands? Do you consider His will something that you should want to obey? Obedience is not just something we expect from our own children, it’s something our Heavenly Father expects from us as sons and daughters to the Most High God. Our role of parent is an ordained way to give us insight into God’s love for us, as well as His desire for our obedience to His will and commands.
The Word of God is full of instances of radical obedience…Noah built the ark, Abraham took Isaac up to the mountain determined to sacrifice him, Moses boldly proclaimed threats before the pharaoh, Joshua marched around Jericho seven times and Daniel refused to defile himself with the king’s food or worship any God but the one God. In each of these instances, the decision to obey comes before the reward. But Jesus, the Son of God, shows us the ultimate picture of obedience. Jesus went to the cross for us, suffering horrific beatings and a brutal death on our behalf, at His Father’s command. Despite His grief over what He had to do, Jesus explained to His disciples that it had to occur, so that He would be in us and that our “joy may be full” (John 15:10-11).
Here we see the principle of sowing and reaping in action. His death results in our joy. And His own, according to John 14:30-31. Jesus submits to His Father’s command, even to death, for the joy of being with His Father in glory and show love to His Father. Hebrews 5:7-9 tells us that though He prayed and cried out to be spared, he learned obedience through his suffering, so that those who obey Him would receive salvation. He sowed obedience so that we could reap joy. But in order to reap joy, we must first sow obedience to Him.
What is He asking you to do? At the minimum, it is to have faith in Him as the Almighty Rock of our Salvation. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12). Salvation results in joy. Trust in God and in His Son as our Savior, and ask for a willing spirit to obey His commands. His commands are only fearful when you consider doing them on your own. In our own power, on our own, they may seem impossible. But in His power, with Him, we have help. We are promised help through the Holy Spirit, which means we tap into God’s power, grace, strength, authority, peace and yes, joy. In Him, we can do anything He’s called us to. So we fix our eyes on Jesus, not on our circumstances, but on the one who was obedient for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2). We pick up our “crosses” and obey His command to follow him. Throughout his ministry he commands, “Follow me.” The command still stands… Follow Him.
In the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16, Jesus goes to great lengths to speak to the disciples and pray to God regarding the Holy Spirit, or Helper, that was to come. The sowing of obedience resulted in the reaping of the promised Holy Spirit. In those chapters, he repeated a few commands to them many times. “Keep my commandments,” “Abide in me”, “Abide in my love”. What does it mean to abide? To rest or dwell, to continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immoveable. Spend deliberate time in the Word of God and in prayer, resting in His Word, Jesus. Not only should we abide in Him, but in John 15:7-11, Jesus tells us if we abide in Him, and His words abide in us, we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be done for you. If our will aligns with His, we then bear fruit, joining in the love of the Father and Son, keeping His commandments so that His joy may be in us, and that our joy may be full. Ah, there it is again…obedience resulting in joy. Joy that despite our earthly circumstances, when we abide in Him, our relationship with the Father brings us peace, the riches of His grace, lavishing us with His wisdom and insight through Christ. (Ephesians 1:7-8). The joy of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is ours when we’re obedient to Him.
Back to our earthly relationships with our children: What are they following you in doing? Are you modeling obedience by following Jesus? In God’s kingdom hierarchy, all things flow from Him. Jesus modeled joyful obedience for us. If we’re modeling obedience resulting in joy, it’s likely that our children, at some point, will also find joy in obedience. It’s cause and effect, reaping and sowing, obedience and joy.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:9-11
