Following in Obedience - What does that really mean??

I've been thinking for many days about this.  I'm daily convicted about my own strong-willed and stubborn personality....I am my own stumbling block in my relationship with Christ.  This might be a long post - and I apologize - but there are some little nuggets of encouragement that have helped me in this area. And I am still growing....does anyone ever stop?  I fail often, but my Gracious Heavenly Father picks me back up, forgives my sin, and renews His Spirit in me - giving me strength to continue on in faith!

How can I truly be obedient?
How does a person handle all the stresses of life and still be obedient?
What does this look like in a dysfunctional world?  In my dysfunctional life?

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around total obedience to the Lord - mainly because I fail so often.  So, it helps me to break it into the areas of life that pertain to most of us:

• Worship / Prayer / Bible study - we know these need to be our priority, but - for some - these tend to fall to the wayside with all the other demands on our time
• Relationships - marriage, parents, siblings, in-laws, friends, co-workers, enemies - we are called LOVE...and to pray for all of these
• Our role as women in the home - it's not all about staying at home 24/7 - the managing of the home is, by God's design, the responsibility of the woman....whether we work in or out of the home, it is still our responsibility to tend to our home and all the inhabitants
• Jobs - working at home or outside the home - God calls us to be servants no matter where we are working
• Parenting - because our relationship with our children is a whole different relationship than any other, but it is our biggest chance at witnessing to a captivated audience
• Finances - we all know the stress that dealing with finances can bring, but it can also bring joy when we trust God to use our money for His purpose
• Eating - food can be an idol and we must be on guard to not let our desire for food become too present in our thoughts or used as our way of dealing with life - we don't need food to cope, we need God.
• Exercising - how quickly we forget that our bodies are the living, breathing temple of God - why do we neglect them so?  I have recently been convicted in this....
• Service - beyond serving within the walls of your home, seeking to serve others in your community or be open to the call to go on mission trips to another state or abroad
• Evangelizing - spreading the Good News to the world around us

Okay, so....breathe. 

I'm feeling overwhelmed just looking at that list....and that was just a generalized summary!!  Life is complicated. It just is. And, for those who desire to follow Christ, life is usually hard.  In fact, Jesus gave us a glimpse of the trials even He experienced when walking this earth, as He responded to a man who claimed to want to follow Him, 

"As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ~Luke 9:57-58

If our Savior and Redeemer....the only perfect Man who walked this earth, who was always completely obedient to the Father....if He had not even a building for shelter to lay his head and endured hardships, why do we believe our life will be easy?  But, that is a question to explore for another blog!!  :)

So....how do we walk out obedience in all the areas of life that are always tugging at us?  Truly, I believe it is simple, Christ instructed us simply - I believe we make it hard.  God has shown me three...just three...simple ways we can live obediently. And, if I could sum those three points up into two words:  BE PURPOSEFUL.

1.  Be purposeful - desire, strive, struggle, set your mind -  to follow the two greatest commands Jesus spoke of in the book of Matthew:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and [o]foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” ~Matthew 22:36-40

We don't need to be uber-super-duper "religious" and do everything right....in fact, try to steer clear of falling into legalism....we are saved by grace, not by works.  But, by being purposeful in loving God with ALL our heart, mind, soul, strength (**take a minute and REALLY think about what that means**), we are opening ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit.  And when the Holy Spirit is freely working in us, we CAN be obedient to His promptings.  And when we set our minds and hearts on seeking God, we will end up in His Word and in prayer....and our relationship with Him will be deepened.  And, when the Holy Spirit is working freely in us, God will soften our hearts to those around us (including our hateful co-worker, or our extra whiny toddler, or our distant spouse, or our estranged siblings, or the homeless man who's always on the street corner, etc, etc).  When we first set our minds and hearts and souls and strength on God Almighty, we can more easily love and serve our husbands, love and guide our children, serve outside our homes, and show Christ to the world.....all because we ourselves have received unconditional love from the only One who can give it.

2. Be purposeful in seeing God in all the moments of the day.

"There is ... one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." ~Ephesians 4:6

This is the idea of being thankful and finding joy in the midst of a messy, stressful, and demanding life.  God IS there.  He's there for all the moments, beautiful and downright ugly.  And, contrary to what some people believe, we will be given more than we can handle.....we endure much in this life, but the only way to truly handle it is to hit our knees - face down - pleading for God's help and deliverance!!  If you haven't heard of this book, now available as a devotional as well, I recommend it times a billion!!  One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, was life changing for my walk with Christ.  I read it at exactly the time in life that I should have....I have three little ones (currently aged almost 4, recently turned 2, and almost 9 months).  Life is hectic....and I get lost in the needs of everyone else.  But, this book helped me put it all in perspective...and God grabbed a hold of me through her words. I can more easily see God in the midst because I am looking for Him!!

3. Be purposeful in TRUSTING.

I would go out on a limb and say I am not alone in this, but I often don't rely on God throughout the day.  Take a moment and daydream....imagine your life - all the decisions and headaches and mess-ups and joys - imagine what that life would look like when fully trusting in God your Father to meet every single need, to know what is best for you.  I think of my own life, and I am overwhelmed by the abundance of glory I have missed out on giving to my Holy God - what a HUGE testimony and witness it is to everyone around me when I fully rely on Him and can give Him all the glory!!!  If I am living life like this, God is using this season of life - the one where my main focus is on loving and serving my husband, caring for little ones, and homeschooling my oldest - the season of life where I can't be out evangelizing every day because my responsibility is to my family first - when I give trust to Him....I can be evangelizing simply by proclaiming His promises are true and He is faithful - giving evidence of how He has been faithful in my own life!!!  This makes me think of a sweet hymn....sing it along with me:

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His Word;

Just to rest upon His promise,

And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

• Refrain:
  Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
  How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
  Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

1. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to trust His cleansing blood;
   And in simple faith to plunge me
   ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
2. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.
3. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.
   
   
   Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Daily seek His presence, in all the moments. Trust in Him, believe His promises.  We don't need to stress about failing in obedience.....we need to simply start with being purposeful in loving Him and letting His Spirit do His work in us. Start with a simple prayer, asking God to give you the desire to be obedient....and the strength to live it out....and then believe that He will answer!!