As a result of our obedience, God will bless us. Our obedience demonstrates our ability to fully trust God, love Him, and glorify Him in all that we do.
God Blesses and Rewards Our Obedience
“Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” –Proverbs 10:17
I have heard a lot of chatter from friends describing the teenage years as brutal and frustrating. This year my kids are entering 8th and 9th grade and all I can say is I am truly blessed. My kids, even though they have entered this next stage of life with a booming social calendar, continue to communicate well with us.
Sometimes chatting it up too much! Especially around bedtime. They have realized if they talk longer; they will get to stay up later. Most of the time, I play into their little scheme because I really do want to hear what they have to say.
Funny how some things never change. This is the newer version of the let’s stay up past our bedtime game. As toddlers it was; “Can I get a drink of water?” or “Wait, I forgot my lovely downstairs”. Any excuse to gain a few extra minutes.
As parents, we are not taking this for granted. We know we are very lucky, knowing not everyone has this same relationship.
A lesson from God in the making
This past week, as a new school year started, my son, Noah, gave me a lesson in obedience as he too learned. God knows how to Kill Two birds with one stone!
During one of our late-night games of “how was your day?”, Noah explained how some of his peers walked over to football practice after school, while he got shuffled onto a bus and was twenty minutes late. He was told by the vice principal he could not walk over. Meanwhile, his friends avoided the vice principal altogether, walked over, and were on time.
A little backstory.
Our school district has two high schools. Both are within walking distance of each other. The first high school building (west), houses all the incoming freshmen, while the other building (east) serves grades 10 through 12.
Now the next thing you must know is traffic is absolutely insane in between these schools. If you could imagine three-thousand (plus or minus) students being released all within a five-minute gap of time. Students are all over the place. Getting on buses to go home, getting on buses for building transfers, others are being picked up by parents, and those who live within the school’s boundaries are walking home. It is enough to make your head spin and your patience flare!
For those students, like my son, who need to get from one school building to the next, it is difficult and time constraining. Noah, being laser-focused on building up his high school football career, put his foot down and said; “I don’t want to be late for practice again. I am just going to walk around the building like the rest of my friends and avoid the vice principal.”
After asking him if he felt this was the right thing to do, God intervened! He prompted me to ask my next question.
“Do you think it is okay to be disobedient in one area, to be obedient in another?”
We both sat thinking for a few minutes (what a powerful question). He responded; “No, I will take the bus even if I am late.” Good boy, I said!
We must be obedient to God in all areas
Now comes my turn! One of my favorite and not-so-cherished obsessions is my ability to get in my own way. I have a sneaky suspicion you can sympathize. I have to make conscious (and intentional) decisions daily. Read my Bible or worry about my kids’ spiritual walk. Go to church or stay home in my PJs and really take advantage of the Sabbath. Sit down to write or vacuum the carpet.
These are all actual choices I have proposed to myself, not out loud of course, because I am an active volunteer and long-time member of my church. If you are a cleaning nut like I am, vacuuming sounds much easier and more soothing to the soul than crafting sentences together with words. Concentrating on the back-and-forth lines of cleanliness is pretty satisfying. In moments of stress, it is a refuge for me.
What I know is the choices we make can influence not only our lives but the people who surround us.
Our struggles, our failures, and if we are lucky enough, our wins can all be injected into the hearts of others. Listen, I am sitting here writing because God is using my past entanglements to prompt others for change.
The ministry He called me to has required some hard trials. And I would gladly go through them all again, just to be in the place I am now. I must continue to propel this calling into action, including taking proper care of it and not hiding behind the vacuum.
God needs to be at the center of all of our happenings. He can’t be an add-on to our lists. He has to be a priority. Better yet, the number one item on our list. So, yes! Instead of sleeping in, I set my alarm clock to read my Bible and pray. And as much as I love to vacuum, I push it aside to write. Being obedient in every little detail is as important as the big decisions, too.
Obedience always brings blessings
Because of God’s grace, He will reward our best efforts even if they produce imperfect results.
Abraham, Moses, Noah, Paul, Peter, the Samaritan woman, Daniel, Jesus, and many more, listened and obeyed. And as a result of their obedience, big changes happened. Our little decisions have the capacity to produce a substantial impact. Even in those moments, when no one is watching, God sees.
Obeying God in small matters is an essential step in receiving God’s blessings.
1 John 2:17 tells us; “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” We must consistently press upon God’s word daily. Through our dedication, we will develop better prioritization, gain Godly wisdom, deepen our relationship with the Lord, and so much more.
We can only provoke the success we have in life by committing ourselves to the Lord.
Let’s Pray Together
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for being consistent in our lives when we are inconsistent. Help us put Your Word first and allow our obedience to be a blessing to everyone who sees us. We know all things are possible through you. Take our small tasks and use them for your glory.
In all this, we ask in your precious name – Amen!
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…”
Luke 16:10
Read More on Jen Schreiner
- How to Move Forward When You Feel Stuck
- Recognizing Our True Enemy: A Call to Focus on Faith
- The Power of Godly Friendships – 5 Key Qualities
- Why Isn’t God Answering My Prayers
- 5 Astonishing Facts About God
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