The Wild Gift of Obedience
Obedience sounds like an uptight, obligatory sort of word, but I know better.
God has been speaking to me about obedience over the past week as I begin to pour the foundations for my coaching business. He’s shown up in my quiet time, whispered to me through the scriptures, and spoke to me through yesterday’s Sunday sermon. He hasn’t missed an angle because he knows, sometimes, that’s what it takes to get my attention.
I know the thrill of wild obedience. I know what it feels like to move in step with the breath of the Holy Spirit when it doesn’t align with cultural norms or typical definitions of responsible behavior. I know what it’s like to quit my job to minister in the name of Jesus on the other side of the globe. I’ve started a journey without knowing where I’d rest my head, and I’ve broken laws to baptize new believers in the river in a communist nation.
All this and more I have experienced, and still, I have a nagging predisposition to pursue security and a fleshy craving for the approval of others. This is why I also know what it’s like to stay in a current position out of comfort, make inauthentic choices that give off “cool” instead of “cringe”, and mimic the enemy in my own story by asking, “Did God really say I need to do that?”
So what gives? If we know the rich gift of wild obedience, why is our default accepting responsibility’s consolation prize? Why do we avoid doing what God says because people will think we are crazy or cringy (or both)?
The longer we live, the more we want to create security for ourselves out of the instinct to hold onto what we’ve acquired, be it status, acclaim, relationships, possessions, or something else. When we give in to this instinct, our lives may be safer by cultural standards, but they will also be smaller by kingdom standards. The line between responsibility and obedience is a fine one, and if we keep our eyes on the work of our hands rather than the work of our Savior, we will miss the chance to run wild with Him.
Before I go, I’ll encourage our hearts with this: obedience is worth it. I pray we don’t miss out on passionate adventures with God because we are too busy being adults. God, help us spend our time sowing kingdom seeds rather than sewing safety nets. May our hearts and ears be sensitive to the whisper that says, “Run with me,” and may our response be a joyful, confident yes. Amen.
Do you have a story of wild obedience, or is there a place where you feel God is calling you into wild obedience? I’d be blessed and encouraged if you’d share it in the comments.
