The Spirit of Obedience
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7: 24)
Obedience is not easy. We become enraged when someone corrects and disciplines us. It's challenging to accept corrections and follow instructions. It is really difficult to truly be under such disciplinary strictness when our parents, elders, or teachers chastise us, when they are severe with us in their discipline. However, this attitude of submission and humility before those He has placed in positions of authority over us is what God expects of us. He wants us to submit to the authority that God has over us, which entails putting aside our desires and that is really challenging. However, the blessings bestowed by God upon an obedient individual will be far greater.
“When we were little children, we used to come from school and my parents would tell us to record a song for TV. They would tell us to record the song that evening, appear on TV the following day, practice singing in other languages, and attend meetings on the weekends so as to perform on stage. Our evenings were occupied with ministry, and our friends would engage in conversations on various other topics such as games, TV series, and other media. There would be times when it was really challenging. However, our parents were very strict about God’s work and would insist that we revere God and dedicate our lives to serving Him and that we would be a great blessing indeed. That time, we didn’t understand their advice but now we see how today many people are thankful for the songs we sang, for the ministry we did in our childhood and how that has blessed their children. "We praise God for our parents for leading us in the right direction in our lives, and for their guidance and enabling us to become blessings ourselves and we are also grateful for the personal blessings bestowed upon us.”
My friend you too, will be lead onto the right paths, where you can be a blessing and a model to others and it will open up blessings for yourself. When you obey, it will be a blessing to your life. We might not realize everything now, but God honors the spirit of obedience and you will be blessed and through you the blessing will flow to others. You will be wise women/men who heed the right counsel and instructions.
Jesus Himself obeyed. When His parents came and asked Him, ‘what are you doing in the temple of God? Come with us, lets go’. Jesus said ‘it is my Father’s house, I have to be here.’ However, he respected His parents' instructions and recognized the importance of being with His family even though He was just a child. Later after many years, at the wedding in Cana, Mary told Jesus about the dreath of wine in the house, Jesus initially refused to do anything saying that it was not yet His time for ministry. Nevertheless, He still listened to His mother, and in doing so, God honored Him with His first miracle, signaling the beginning of His ministry."
When Jesus humbled Himself to obey; even though He is God in flesh, He obeyed His parents. He obeyed those whom God gave in His life to lead Him. And the Holy Spirit will also directly lead you. ‘This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left’ (Isaiah 30.21). He will teach you, rectify things in your life, correct the way in which you are walking and help you to be lead in the right way. He will speak to your heart.
When you prove to God that you’re going to do the right thing even when it’s hard, even when it doesn’t make sense, you’re going to see God do awesome things in your life. Though it’s difficult, surrender your life so that your life will be led in the right way and be blessed so that you will be wise men/women built on the rock. Humble yourself and receive the spirit of obedience.