What is Obedience?
“Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
It makes all the sense in the world that Jesus would not call us to faith and make obedience a burden. In fact, He chastised the toxic legalisms of the Pharisees severely. Then He promised us He would show us love and commitment, and we, as His brothers, would respond with commitment of our own. The above verse was written so that we would understand the motivation for obedience is his love and was not meant to be a burden.
Obedience is the evidence that convinces the world that we are indeed grateful. What’s pathetic is a man who has been the recipient of this grace and mercy but doesn’t act like one. He’s the type of guy who doesn’t realize the price that was paid for his God-given life and is a candidate for God’s tempered correction. Like a little boy, his attention wanders from the Word, and he is led away by his feelings or false pride. Sound familiar? Every dad knows this frustration with his own children, but many of us fail to see the correlation with our heavenly Father.
We all recall when Abraham stood over his son with a knife. This obedience was singled out to show us the obedience that God is pleased with. Dads delight in rewarding obedience, the way God responded here demonstrates a major spiritual principle, put well by scholar and Pastor Stuart Briscoe. “The word heeded releases the power that’s needed. I’ll say! When Isaac asked Abraham, “Where is the lamb?” his dad replied, “God himself will provide the lamb” (Genesis 22:7-8). Obedience should never be a burden, He will never give us more than we can handle.
Father thanks for not making obedience a burden but a means for showing my appreciation for all that you have done for me.