If our Lord insisted on our obedience, He would simply become a taskmaster and cease to have any real authority. He never insists on obedience, but when we truly see Him we will instantly obey Him. Then He is easily Lord of our life, and we live in adoration of Him from morning till night. The level of my growth in grace is revealed by the way I look at obedience. We should have a much higher view of the word obedience, rescuing it from the mire of the world. Obedience is only possible between people who are equals in their relationship to each other; like the relationship between father and son, not that between master and servant. Jesus showed this relationship by saying, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). “. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). The Son was obedient as our Redeemer, because He was the Son, not in order to become God’s Son.
My Utmost for His Highest, July 19.
As I read this, I see areas where I have yet to submit. I don’t truly see Christ, thus I don’t easily or instantly obey Him. This free, easy, and equal relationship is available to me, but I pursue paltry substitutes.
My struggle with obedience is reflected in the conflicted training my kids receive in this area. I’m not consistent in supplying instruction and training or consequences when they fail. This post by Ann Voskamp on parenting touches on this connection between obedience and relationships. My own childhood was not always one of obeying out of relationship but out of fear.
Slowly His grace is drawing me closer to His side, to obeying in response to His love, not fear. As that happens, I see minute changes in my parenting mothering. Nurture, love, train…that is my calling.
