ey listen and respond has captured me lately. This thought process provokes much in me in regards to a word that I learned to perceive as ugly over the years. Actually, it seems to be a word no one really likes... The word is obedience.Reading books by Christian authors about raising kids can be a very spiritually introspective endeavor. Never did I think it would be the cause of such self-consternation. Much of the mental fodd
er has been produced by the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. The author's definition of obedience is very clear and frankly a bit unnerving. He says, "obedience is the willing submission of one person to the authority of another. It means more than a child doing what he is told. It means doing what he is told - without challenge, without excuse, without delay."For those of you less rebellious at heart this may not be a difficult concept. For those of you with my penchant for wanting to do things on my terms this definition can leave one undone. The first sentence is something I get, and I appreciate. In terms of my followership of Jesus, all in all, I would say I am moving toward an every moment life consuming submission to HIM.
But even though that is where I am moving, it doesn’t mean that I move well. The second part of his definition shows where my obedience is found wanting. The terms of “without challenge, without excuse, without delay” add up to a demanding standard for obeying God. I’ll be honest I do ok on “without excuse”. I am better when it comes to “without delay”. But when it comes time to ante up “without challenge”… yikes! I fail miserably.
In my life I have come to realize I am a person who questions things the first time around – shoot, I’ll even question it the second time just for good measure. I am sorry to say I have done/do this with the Lord. Even though I know God is Sovereign; there are often moments when I question His sanity, because the ways He chooses to move often do not make sense to my finite mind. Therefore, I hedge at times in doing what I feel He may be asking in the moment.
Hold up a second, I guess I have to retract a prior statement. Because I do tend to challenge, I see that there is a delay in the way I respond to God. And because I delay I line up the arguments of why I may not have obeyed in the moment… hmmm, sounds like more excuses. I guess I am not the man I would like to think I am.
The more I look at the terms of this type of obedience – without challenge, without, excuse, without delay – I am forced to confess I can’t do it on my own.
Because of this my thoughts have been forced back to John 15. Christ knows that in my humanity I can’t do it, and so He states this reality. In verse 5 He says, “I am the vine you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Then after helping me see I can’t do it on my own He talks about obedience! In verse 10 He says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” For this statement to come after the previous seems so cold and relentless. For the longest time I loathed myself because I didn’t understand this passage. According to this passage I need to obey to remain/abide in His love. Well, how am I supposed to obey if I can’t do anything?
As I have gotten older the Lord has allowed me to see this passage through different lenses. Verse 5 for so long left me feeling frustrated. I know can’t do squat, but for Christ to say it left me feeling like I got kicked in the groin. Since then, thankfully, my perspective has matured. Now I see that in verse 5 Christ grants me freedom to be ok with my ineptitude. The way He clearly communicates my inability to do anything with out Him allows me to embrace my brokenness and empowers me to seek more of HIM.
The fact is I am a child of God at the price of a blood that was not my own. I was not able to muster up anything that could/would bridge the atrocity of the sinful mess I am to reconcile me to the Holy, Loving God Almighty! So, if it took this to start the relationship, why do I strive as if the onus on remaining in fellowship is solely mine? If it started with HIM, it needs to continue with HIM. If this whole thing started simply by His grace than we must be sustained in the same vein!
The older I get the more I see that the untenable standard called obedience is something more beautiful than what I once perceived as an ugly list of do’s and don’ts. Obedience is God’s greatest call to and experience of His sustaining grace in my life. This call of obedience forces me to choose submission to the Holy Spirit every moment. Obedience leads me to a place where dying to my self is the best (and only reasonable) option; for as I obey I remain/abide in His love. And if you think about this, this in itself is a gift. This obedience to which I am called brings about more of my transformation into His life for my own good so that I might be used more for His glory.
The onus is not on me to manufacture but to remain. Remain in the place that allows me to know and feel my desperate need for the One who bought me at the price of His blood. Remain in the place where He becomes my Everything as I embrace that I have nothing. Obedience is the call to remain and be sustained by grace; it’s no longer just a word no one really likes.
