Obedience I say? Yes, Obedience to God and to yourself. I live my life desiring to be every thing that God has called me to be. Is that really a true statement? I ask myself that, even though I know it's something I strongly desire more than anything in my life. I know for a fact that 'being called' is not something we decide, but rather something that is burned within us by passion and desire, given to us, not bartered with by God. Besides, I don't want to live a life of mediocracy.
So, here's what happens to me, and this is how I get MOVING AND START LIVING BETTER.
I had a pretty strict upbringing which means I heard the rules from either my mother or daddy when it came to doing something around the house or with school and for the church. Therefore, today, I still hear the voice of those who guided me when I was young. Now that I am older, and having to be a VOICE to people around me I still hear the voice of my dad when it comes to making choices. See, I was raised with the Word of God as a resource, like a map for guiding my life and when my daddy left the earth, I no longer had his direction, but I am still fortunate to have my mother's words of encouragement and better yet, guidance when I just can't assume position. Ultimately, they instilled the Word of God by taking me to church and living a life standard that defined 'right living' in my opinion! Sure, there are good people making good choice, but the God that is all around us has a greater purpose for us rather than a good one.
It's the Word of God that now guides me. But what about when I just don't feel like doing what it says? Well, the only one that suffers is me! I cannot tell you how many times I have struggled with this very issue. I live a day without remembering I need structure and wake up the next day feeling every single pain of knowing I failed. That's where Gods mercy awakens me and I get back on track. See, I am a procrastinator by nature....but when you pressure me to do something, I can move like a roadrunner! With me, sometimes it takes pressure to get the ball rolling but when it comes to discipline I cannot wait to discipline if I gotta preach somewhere tomorrow. I have to daily place the Word in me, much like I need daily exercise. Do I succeed at this daily, NO.....But, I am learning or I would not be blogging about it.
When it comes to food, I have to make hour by hour choice. Why? Because I love food. I love chocolate and I love chips. But, the choices I make cannot be made the day before I am to get into the beautifully shaped fitting dress, because I will not be putting it on, if I ate whatever I wanted. No, discipline is an act of obedience. Obedience means to OBEY! Obedience means to OBEY. Obedience means to OBEY!!
Well, you have read this far and I have yet to mention any thing about "Where" in the Word is a the greatest guide. Let me share something with you that began to make total sense to me when I heard the words that Jesus told us. Here are seven words.(which I shortened from the original text so you can remember that 7 is perfection!) These seven words are connected to HIS greatest commandment and here they are, "Love God, Love your neighbor as yourself."
- Can we love a God we cannot see, every single day? Not without accepting that there is one.
- Can you love your neighbor that you can see every day? No, because Flesh is never perfect.
- Can you Love you? This is among the greatest COMMANDMENT which Jesus said is the most important for guiding our lives and living our lives and loving him. If we don't love ourselves then we cannot love God and we cannot love our neighbor. Loving yourself is the most difficult position which God has asked humans to do. Sure, there are narcissistic people who love themselves abundantly, but they are failing with the other two commands.
- See, if you love God, you will begin to love simply because you know HE is living on the inside of you. That's acceptance of HIM and that's the first sign of growth in any area of your life. We all need God. We need Jesus as Savior. If you do not love you, then you are slapping God in the face and you are of no use to your neighbor, muchness able to love them or do anything for GOD. It takes obedience to do any of these things that we so effortlessly try to do, because we are possibly placing our effort in the wrong place.
Obedience begins in the heart of knowing YOU were created to #1. Love God. When we love God, we can love others and as we love others we can feel a reward within our lives as accepted and loved because we are living our lives not just for us, but for someone else and when we do this, WE then begin to feel worth and with worth we feel value and with value we can offer ourselves freely to, #2 God and then others, and never really leaving ourselves out of the picture, because loving God and others actually makes us the Champion of our own mind. After all, this is about listening to the 'commands' of the voice that leads us into all truths.
Have you ever read Psalms 73 You should. It's a message of Gods love for us and how he is always trying to guide our lives. Pay attention. Listen.....if you did not have a voice in your life that guided you like I was so fortunate to have as a child and young adult, I can tell you, I hear Gods voice much louder at times than that of my earthly father because Gods voice is consistent in His Word.
John 16 tells us that the 'Spirit of Truth' will lead us. That Spirit came through Jesus, and He left with us His Holy Spirit when he died for us on the cross.
Rev. 3:8 tells us that God knows our 'works' and He has set the door before us and no man can shut it!
You might as well get disciplined and remain obedient to yourself and to God, because it is there you will find that you are no longer living this life for YOU, but living it BECAUSE OF WHO HE HAS MADE YOU TO BECOME,...........it's through HIM for others.
The greatest commandment.......just Seven Words, if you allow it, can change your mind.
