I try. I try. I try. I fail. I fail. I fail. I am perplexed by the whole concept of obedience. I am supposed to obey, but God also knows I'm sinful and will fail. My efforts to obey lead me to be frustrated and focused on my failure and inability. I'm told to rely on the Holy Spirit, but I don't quite understand how that works.
The key, then, is that I need not focus on obedience. What?! How could I? Obedience is so important! Yesterday, someone said to me, "It's impossible to obey all the time." When we have that attitude, again, we're already defeated. We're focusing on our flesh and weakness.
Turn the focus. Focus on the amazing power of Christ. Learn of who God is. Meditate and worship the greatness of our Lord. As we fill our souls, our lives, with WHO God is, we stand in awe. The more you see God for who He is, the more natural obedience will become. Obedience will flow as a response to God's holiness. The Holy Spirit moves us that way.
But the truth is, sometimes I don't want to stand in awe of God. I want to try to obey so that I can be excused when I fail. I want to focus on me.
I must learn to worship before I can obey.
3 comments:
Good Article.
When we are in awe of Christ we don't want to sin. We sin because we live without the conscious awareness of God's presence with us.
Jeremy - your one sentence encaspulates my entire point I was trying to make. :) Thank you.
Rom. 2:4 - talks about the kindness of God Leading us to repentance. We sin, fail, and fall. You keep believing, having faith that His spirit is working in your life and yielding to Him in your life. You believe in Christ and so He is your righteousness. You Worship Christ, you see the love and kindness of God in worship and that brings you back to repentance whenever you fail. You spend more time in his presence because you become enamored by His kindness and grace. You stay there. You never leave, even when you’re not in your prayer closet! :) His kindness just led you to true repentance!
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