For the past couple of weeks, we have been talking about radical obedience and being a doer of God’s Word. We continue to ponder on that topic this week as well. I promised the Lord and my readers that I would not write or ask you to do anything that I have not been following myself. And I stand by that—with zero doubt, I can boldly say that I have been intentional about being obedient to God, not just with the big and hard things but also the simple ones that are often dismissed.
As Paul exhorts us in Romans 12, let us not be conformed to the patterns of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. It is only then can that we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Contrary to the simplicity in the manner of direction, the idea of not following the world and focusing on the Word is not easy. I strongly experienced the struggle and pain involved in staunchly sticking to ONLY what God says. Sometimes, I did not even feel good after following His directions. This is where we need the Holy Spirit to help us manage the fleshly emotions we feel before, during and after engaging in something the Lord has asked us to do.
Believe it or not, it is a battle of choices. My spirit tells me something and, almost all the time, my flesh retaliates. Over the past few months, the Lord has been reminding me to die to my self—this is neither pleasant nor easy. But the Lord kept nudging me and gave me the reason why I should do it—transformation! Day in and day out, I being moulded into the image of Christ. I keep imagining this picture—Him, the Potter and me, the clay, on the wheel of life. In order for me to be shaped by Him, I need to lay my SELF down. Mathew 10:39 says, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.” Short, crisp and to the point—I love how this verse just announces the choice as well as the reward in one sentence.
For people who see us, our life is seemingly the perfect one. We are indeed grateful to God for all the good things that He gives us as a family but, we do have our set of struggles. Last month, for that matter, has been one of the most uncomfortable seasons of my life—a month I was intentionally about being obedient to His Word. The irony is that, it was also what I would tag as a liberating phase. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I did a lot of difficult things—the kind I would have not even imagined doing a couple of years back. There were several occasions when I was so bogged down and frustrated after following a direction from God, despite knowing that I am in the centre of God’s will. I had to humble myself before people who knowingly or unknowingly wronged me. But, I learnt an important lesson through it all—OBEDIENCE TRULY SETS US FREE. I chose to stay obedient to whatever God said, I could see bondages being broken and relationships being repaired.
Every time I did something difficult, I would close my eyes and picture Jesus smiling at me. My head plays this scene of how Jesus lifts me up, gives me the warmest hug and says, “I am proud of you, Sandy.” And the storm inside of me, calms down. As a parent, I can resonate with this imagery. Every time I see my children being obedient even when it is hard for them to be, I am filled with joy and pride. I pick them up, give them a hug and always remind them of how proud I am of both of them. They instantly feel loved and acknowledged which helps them with their choices later on.
In the same, when our Heavenly Father says that He is proud of us, we instantly gravitate towards a life of obedience despite the struggles involved.
Let me warn you about one bit—setbacks are inevitable. Do not expect people to change or treat you better when you humble yourselves before them and extend love. But Jesus is smiling at you and He is glowing with pride seeing your intentionality in following divine directions. Remember, God must be glorified in all that you do—not you, as a person, neither your kindness or humility.
Consider this:
As you take baby steps towards a life of radical obedience, remember to ASK the Holy Spirit for strategies and ways to conquer the flesh.
A- Accept that you need help. Sometimes, we can get so self-sufficient that we try to do everything on our own. Trust in the Lord and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. You need supernatural help that only comes from the Lord—reach out, take directions and involve the Lord in every step of your journey.
S- Step up in faith. There is a chance of a burn-out in this process. This can dampen your faith and, sometimes, even make you run back to the starting line. Focus on Jesus and only Him, no turning back. Listen to sermons and testimonies as it boosts your faith and reminds you of the truth. Declare His promises out loud—let it sink into your spirit.
K- Keep His Word. Everything is centred around His Word—it is the manual God gave us to aid our spiritual journey. Make sure you read it, meditate on it and DO IT.