He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28

Let’s play a word association game:  what comes to mind when you hear the word, “obedience?”  My friend, Luisa, comes back with “blessing.”  I, on the other hand, think, “coercion, followed by…spanking.”  I recall a Christian parenting program that instructed parents to insist on first-time obedience from their children, or else!

In English, obedience means compliance to an order or submission to authority. When we teach obedience to children or employees or citizens, we’re not teaching right from wrong, but simply expecting compliance. Scripture shows that Jesus’ interest lies not in our compliance but in a love relationship with us that works His wisdom in our lives.  Jesus told His followers, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). The Greek word “obey” from this verse is “tereo,” meaning, “pay close attention to, keep, observe, attend to carefully.”

Read Luke chapter 5, to learn how the obedience of a fisherman named Peter blessed others and enabled Peter to experience the greatest fishing trip of his life.  Obedience is a choice and Peter said that he made a choice to obey what seemed illogical to him because of Who Jesus was.

Obedience out of love, not compliance, is what Jesus calls me to. The more I know Him, the more closely I obey Him and the more of His Spirit I experience in my life (Acts 5:32).

 

Resource reading: Luke 5:1-12