Obedience

I haven't done this in a while....

Same premise as before. What, in a word, am I learning from the Lord?

Obedience.

Whether it be day to day or following the call to go somewhere or do something. Obedience is something we as Christians are called to be a part of. There are a lot of questions that this sparks in my mind. How do we even know what the Lord is calling us to do? Why do we obey Him? Why don't we obey Him? What if it is hard? All of these things are valid and very real concerns that plaque my ever wandering mind daily. As far as knowing what to do, well that just comes with spiritual growth. Knowing you have the Holy Spirit as part of your heart (John 14:15-17, 26, 16:12-15, Acts 1:8, Isaiah 11:2 etc).Learning to hear these things is a discipline that is learned by knowing what God says in His word and spending time asking Him to reveal His voice to you and then being quiet. It's the hardest part of living in this society. Being quiet. No technology, no thoughts of what you have to do today. Just you and the Lord in quiet communion. And then just as the Psalm says, it's that still small voice. The faint inkling of something, someone you knew was there and were trying to reach out to yet seemed to fall short. Jesus reaching down and providing council through His Spirit. A Spirit that breathes identity into us as sons and daughters, a Spirit that sometimes lets us know there is something we must do to obey the words of our Father. And when these words come they will not be contrary to His word. They will be painted across his Word and through His story.

So why do we obey? Go read Romans. Yeah, just about all of it. Especially chapters 6-8. Read those twice. For a while I struggled with the term "slave of righteousness." I think particularly in 21st century America it is a term that seems oppressive (because humans owning humans kind of IS). But isn't being a slave to righteousness better than being a slave to sin? Well, I mean, being a slave to sin sure sounds a lot easier. You just go on doing what you're doing with no apparent consequences until you reach eternity. But why use the word SLAVE? I think it is because we are servants of the Most High King and He is anything but oppressive. His desire for us is to live and live abundantly (John 10:10).  His desire for us is to delight in His holy work for the redemption of the world. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?! Nobody! Until He tells you that you may have to do something hard. Then, even though you know what you have to do you pray about it. That doesn't even make sense. Pray about it?! He already told you what to do! He isn't going to change His mind! Well I need to pray about it. Don't pray about whether or not you should do it. Pray that He would give you the faith to step out blindly. Pray that He would surround you with a community that sees where He is leading you and can help you get there.

All these things to say that obedience can be hard. Leaving a community that is grounded and vulnerable and aware of the scars of your past and witnessed the healing take place and then commissioned you to be a wounded healer to be a part of a community (while super great) but knows nothing about your story is HARD. The feeling of having to start over. The fear that comes with sharing your story again and again.

It's hard.

But we press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of Christ.
Let us lay aside every hindrance so we may run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

Obey. No matter how hard. Obey. And He will guide you. Obey. And one day you will turn around to see all of those steps of faith made a path to where He needed you to be.

Obey.