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May 26, 2021

How to Obey When You Don’t Feel Like It

May 26, 2021 by CARISSA JOY STRUM OBEDIENCE Obedience Trust God’s guidance & direction Dependence
How to Obey When You Don’t Feel Like It
  • by CARISSA JOY STRUM
  • Comment
“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
1 Peter 2:13-17

Ever since I was little, I’ve hated putting on sunscreen. I can’t stand that chilly-yet-also-sticky feeling of sunscreen hitting my skin. However, since my skin is very fair, my parents have always reminded me to apply sunscreen. Even though the sun’s UV rays aren’t visible, they will have a negative effect on my skin and could ultimately cause skin cancer later on in life. While 10-year-old me just wanted to play outside in the sprinklers, my parents reminded me to think of the long-term consequences that were invisible then, but every bit as real as the cool water splashing my face. I had to obey my parents, even though I did not understand. I am forever grateful for my parents choosing to protect me in this way. Even though I now see the need for sunscreen, there are many things I don’t understand, but I am still called to obey.


Obedience is difficult because it relies on trust. If I don’t trust someone in authority, how am I supposed to obey him or her? Trust is built on relationships. I trusted my parents because I loved my parents and they demonstrated their love to me each day. However, how can we feel connected to those in governmental authority when we do not know them? Obedience is possible because, ultimately, we are obeying God. Since God has called us to obey those He has placed in authority, when we obey the authorities, we glorify God. Of course, sometimes authorities go against God, and since our loyalty lies in God, we are called to obey Him. However, if the authority figures in our lives are not commanding us to disobey God, we are called to obey God by submitting to them. 


Perhaps it’s not the authority figures we’re struggling to obey but God Himself. God explains that His thoughts and ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we can’t expect to understand all of God’s ways. While this is a challenge for those of us who operate out of our cognitive abilities, God calls us to trust Him and not depend on our ability to understand (Proverbs 3:5-6). Instead of attempting to know all of God’s reasoning behind His ways, let’s draw near to God’s throne and seek to know him. When we do, our trust in Him will grow, and we will see glimmers of how He is protecting us and working for His kingdom, like the loving Father that He is.

Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for being trustworthy and true. Thank You that we can trust You and obey even when we do not understand. Please give us strength, Abba. Please help us to see You and trust You, even when things don’t make perfect sense. Please empower and guide our leaders to serve and glorify You through their actions and choices, and please help us to glorify You by obeying those whom You have placed in authority over us. We praise and exalt You. You are above all rulers and authorities and powers (Ephesians 1:21), and we are excited to worship and glorify You as we dwell with You forever. In the powerful and holy Name of Jesus our Savior we pray. Amen.
Resources
Song: Yes I Will by Vertical Worship The song Yes I Will by Vertical Worship has helped me to obey God even when I don’t understand what He is doing. I’ve sung portions of this song in some of my saddest days and rejoiced with this song in some of life’s most joy-filled moments. Here are the lyrics from its chorus: “Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley Yes I will, bless Your name Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy All my days, oh yes I will” Songs are a beautiful way of connecting with God. Maybe you’ll also connect with God through this song, or write your own song by putting pieces of Scripture to music. One passage I love is Psalm 116. Verse 5 alone is worth meditating on and singing: “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.” Another beautiful passage is Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” When we meditate on who God is, our trust in Him is strengthened as we remember Who we are trusting. Then, when He calls us to obey Him (in the little daily moments and in the bigger challenges of life), our trust in Him will be strong and our obedience will naturally flow from that trust.
Question for Reflection

How does the difficulty and thoroughness of your obedience differ between authority figures (such as a governor’s order) and God (such as Christ’s commands)? Why do you feel differently?

Comments
Carissa Joy Strum
May 26, 2021

Responding to commands from authority figures is difficult when I lose sight of God’s hand at work. When I see authority figures as people in power, it is hard for me to obey them. However, when I view them as people placed in their strategic positions by God, it becomes easier for me to obey. When I obey God’s commands out of a desire to work out of my own strength, instead of out of a desire to glorify God, I end up feeling stressed out and do not obey thoroughly. However, when I spend time with God and He builds my trust in Him, I am filled with His love and want to obey Him fully. Ultimately, when I rely on God’s strength, I am at peace and feel encouraged to obey Him fully, and to submit to those He has placed over me.