Wednesday, February 5, 2014

M2C Week 3: Delighting in Obedience

Obedience.

It makes me think of a dog. It isn't something that I'm good at. In fact I've spent most of my life pushing the boundaries of being an obedience because I have always thought if it as a weakness. As if I shouldn't listen when someone says I shouldn't do something. I was told girls don't do math, so I got my bachelor's in math. I was told to let a lawyer do his job, I researched education code (with my husband) to keep my job... and made my own statements... and kept my job.

Stubborn.

That's what people call me.

But I have seemed to misunderstand is how God frames obedience. It isn't doing the possible, it's doing the impossible with His help. It isn't weakness, it's trusting something more than me. It's trusting, and following, not really knowing where the path is going to lead. It's courage to trust the path is leading where I need it to go. Obedience is trusting God's path, and not insisting on my own.  And it is freeing... In an odd way.

I am free to no longer worry about the scale, or what others think of me, or what my finances are. I am free to trust God and live a more balanced life.

And this week, God brought the subject of obedience to me because I NEEDED IT. Due to the lack of going straight to God with righteous anger,  I plowed through all the Super Bowl leftovers on Monday (that I was able to ignore on Sunday). I know that come my weigh in Saturday, the scale is not going to be kind.  But I don't really care because every-stinking-day this week I have (eventually) turned from food and to God. And that, my friends, is all that God wants from me.

11 comments:

  1. Wow! Wow! Wow!
    Lots of truth tucked in your post. You said it perfectly,
    " But I don't really care because every-stinking-day this week I have (eventually) turned from food and to God. And that, my friends, is all that God wants from me."


    Thanks for sharing
    Kristy Aiken
    OBS Team Leader

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  2. I loved your words today!! God expects so little from us in return for so much, doesn't He?

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  3. I enjoyed your statement that obedience "makes you think of a dog". How resistant are we to being controlled by anything! However our obedience is really just a reflection of our love for our Savior. When you think about it the obedience of a dog is often a reflection of his love for his master. Hmmm. Maybe thinking of a dog isn't such a bad thing. Thanks for the post. I love it!

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  4. I especially loved the beginning of your post, where you talk about having a hard time being obedient in general, and even calling yourself stubborn. I was a good, obedient child but things changed when I went away to college, and disliked the idea of anything having control over me, in any way. I know I'm still like that - just ask my husband - :). I think the only one I've been obedient to over the years is God, though, of course, not always. Thank you for your words and thoughtfulness today.

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  5. (((HUGS))) continued prayers... God is such a loving Father, isn't He? He forgives us each time we fall and takes us back into His safe and loving arms.

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  6. Thank you for your encouraging words today! I especially love your statement about "obedience is trusting God's path and not insisting on my own! " As I go through the day today, I will be alert to see that I am not insisting on my own path! Thanks again!

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  7. Great post!! We have to be reminded that just because we follow after God with our whole hearts, doesn't make us weak, as the world would have us believe. It actually takes great strength to follow after God sometimes. It takes strength to lay down our pride. It takes strength to trust God fully. And it takes sooooo much strength to turn to God, instead of food when that's what we're used to. Congrats on your lessons learned this week. I pray God continues to give us all strength to turn to Him, and strength to not worry about what the scale says, but be at peace with the fact that we were obedient to Him. :)

    belinda
    OBS Group 30

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  8. Obedience one step at a time results in Victory! You have victory this week! Stephanie Solberg OBS Group Leader

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  9. Wonderful post! I especially loved your last two sentences!

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  10. I love what you said about trusting and following, even when you don't know where the path is going to lead. Great post!

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  11. Hardest thing I do is obey the Holy Spirit! But although I'm not perfect I AM making progress by the grace of God!

    www.soulcare4u.com

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