We believe a lot of things about obedience that are a little off. Here are a few of them.
We think our obedience makes God less mad at us, as if our obedience today postponed the inevitable cosmic meltdown that we’ll eventually get when we don’t obey.
Some believe that our obedience will twist God’s arm, and convince him to give us good things.
There are some who view obedience as a way to kind of back God into a corner so that He has to bless us.
But the fatal flaw in each of those lies is that we think our obedience will change God. It doesn’t. Obedience changes us. It changes my heart and it changes my position.
God never changes. He’s always been a holy and gracious God. He’s always been a good, good Father who blesses (that started way before the Chris Tomlin song, y’all!). What changes is where I am in relation to who He is and to the blessings He gives.
I think of the blessings God gives like a river that is always flowing in the same place. If I want to enjoy that river, I’ve got to do one thing: get in it. Obedience gets me into the river of God’s blessings, and disobedience gets me out. It’s that simple. Look what Jesus told His followers:
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:17 NIV, emphasis mine)
Their obedience to what they knew positioned them in the flow of God’s blessings. So much of the Old Testament was God saying to His children, “If you do this, you’ll be blessed. If you don’t do this, you’ll be cursed.” But none of that was God saying, “Hey kids! Be sure to catch me when I’m in a good mood because if you don’t, I’ll pulverize you into a pile of dust. Now, go do things that make me happy!”
God’s always been in a good mood, has always been a good Father, and has always been a God who blesses. He never changes, and He’ll be the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The only variable is us. Will we get in and stay in the river through a relationship marked by loving trust and obedience, or will we climb out of that river searching for our own way?
The blessings will never follow the second choice. Today, let’s allow obedience to keep us in the flow of every good and perfect gift coming down from the Father.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
