Do you obey God only when you agree with him? Or do you obey God without questioning? There’s a huge difference between these two attitudes. The other leads to trouble and the other leads to life. How do I know that? The Bible tells us so. You are called to obey God even when you do not like it.

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” (Jer. 42:5-6, NLT)

We are to obey God whether we like it or not. We don’t know the big picture, but God does. So we don’t know what is the ultimate good for us, but God does. We need to obey God whatever his will for us is. This is true obedience, and it will lead to blessings in God’s time, in God’s way. 

It is tempting to obey God only when we agree with him. And that’s what the culture around us tells us to do. But if we want to be true followers of Christ, we need to let God direct our paths and that does not happen if we pick and choose what we are willing to do. God requires complete obedience not partial one. 

Obey God even when you do not like it

When I was younger, I operated with partial obedience even though I was not aware of it then. But when my life crumbled down, I realized what I had been doing and it certainly had not been working out for me. Thankfully, I knew to whom I needed to turn, and he blessed me with grace upon grace. Ever since I have strived for complete obedience to God.

No, it has not been easy. And, no, I have not always managed to do so. But it is really about having the right mindset and attitude of the heart. So, I surrender to God every morning and that sets the right tone for my day. And I finish my day by releasing all to God in the evening. Thus, I am able to live as a blessed child of God with all the privileges associated with that status.

I would not go back to living as a self-reliant individual because that did lead me to the wilderness of unhappiness. And God has laid me to green pastures of blessings. No, life is not always easy, but it is full of purpose and meaning. And there is no sinking sand like there is in the wilderness of unhappiness.

So, obey God even when you do not like it. True obedience might initially not sound appealing, but it is the real thing and it leads to deeper intimacy with God. And that, my friend, is heaven on earth. Do not miss it!

Dear God,
Forgive us for only partially obeying you.
We want the real thing with you,
therefore, we surrender fully to you
and ask you to guide us out of the wilderness of unhappiness.
Show us what real intimacy with you can look like.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

P.S.

If you’re still on the fence about fully surrendering to God, do not hesitate anymore. The grass is not greener on the other side even though it might look like it. There is nothing the world can offer you that could fully satisfy you both here and in eternity. But God offers you faith, hope, and love. And do not forget about grace, peace, hope, joy, and life upon life either. Be blessed, my dear friend. Let God show you how good it is to live with him!