BY DR. SAKULANDA
Obedience, my friends, is everything. Obedience, to me, always meant being a “yes man”. Saying yes no matter what. Saying yes just because I HAD TO. Of coarse, obedience does sometimes mean you do something when you don’t feel like it. But, it’s not about being a slave to “yes”.
Obedience to GOD, is a life changer, it’s the beginning of wisdom and purpose.
Proverbs 1:7 MSG
“Start with GOD —the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”
There is a lot that I can say on obedience but I’ll follow the Holy Spirit’s leading today and focus on how obedience has been the key on the road to discovering my purpose.
When I first got saved, I started to try and do what was right. I knew respecting people in authority was something God liked so I did. Or so I thought. I agreed to help when I was asked. Always said yes. Always gave what I was asked to. Always, always “obeyed”. But I NEVER felt joy or peace from any of it. And I wondered why. I just felt like a slave.
God showed me something when I began to ask Him about this. Pride is the first thing He said to me. “You have pride”.
My yes was never really a yes. I would agree but complain in my heart. God tells us not to do this.
1Peter 4:9.
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
But then, how do you stop what your heart feels? You can’t tell your mind to shut up can you? No you can’t. But God can renew it! Obedience is not a momentary act but a lifestyle and state of heart.
As women, we are called to submission. Married or not, that is a God given role that we have. You will not magically be submissive to your husband when you can’t be obedient to your neighbour now. As people called to motherhood, we must learn to be servants, sometimes to people who do not appreciate it. Just like a child can often do. Sometimes we are so submissive and selfless and our efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated. But that is not our concern.
Colossians 3:22-25
“Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.”
We must pray for and master the art of obedience constantly.
Whenever you are living or working with people, make sure to pray for a humble spirit to be willing to be a servant to the people around you. To be okay with serving and never being served. This was the biggest and most life changing prayer for my work in the Lord.
Because of this servant attitude and goal, you do everything with an aim to help others. To grow others, to love them and to expose God’s love to them.
Proverbs 14:12
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
It is so easy to be doing good works with God left out. When God sends us out, or gives us instructions it can make us get big headed and feel closer to God that other people. But when God sends you out, realise that he’s sending you out as a servant to Him and to THEM. Obedience will cause suffering, pain, humiliation, shame but will also bring great satisfaction in doing God’s will and bringing glory to Him!
Obedience simply allows God to mould you into the person He intended for you to be. It is allowing the pride to be stripped off and replaced with a servant mentality just like Jesus had through out His life.
And when you have this, He will begin to freely instruct you and ask you to do His work. Knowing your heart is right and ready to listen.
And as you practice obedience, His voice gets more familiar. His way of doing things is known by you! Because your pride is no longer diluting His will. Obedience takes you on an intimate journey with God to your purpose.
May God help us with this, in Jesus mighty name.
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