To Trust And Obey

To Trust and Obey

The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!”

Luke 11:39

I once knew an elderly woman who was complaining about “children these days.” She shared how her children always dressed in nicely pressed clothing, always sat quietly at meals, and never complained. I listened, but I didn’t comment. I know her children, who are now grown. They learned to “display” themselves well as children, but as adults they’ve struggled with holding down jobs, with relationships, and with life in general. While there may be some Amish who believe that presenting themselves well is enough to receive God’s approval, most of them realize that the outside should be a reflection of what’s in the heart. An anonymous Amish man writes, “We wear plain clothes, but we know plain clothes do not save us. We give alms, but our good works cannot earn the grace of God. We partake in communion, but know that the emblems in themselves are just bread and wine, with no power to sanctify us. We pour water at baptism, and know the water cannot wash off a single sin. We obey because God said so. Is that not, after all, the best reason, the most important reason in all the world?”

Obedience to God’s commands is the source of the Amish lifestyle. Everyone is expected to obey the will of God. To the Amish, obedience is a joy, not a burden. They don’t believe that having their children “look good and act right” is enough.

How do we look at obedience in our own lives? Do we come to God’s Word with moldable hearts that are willing to obey? Often we teach our children the “how” of obedience without instructing them in the importance of heart motivation. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the same thing. We obey first, and as we do our hearts are transformed. Obedience alone is never enough, but it’s the first step toward developing a faithful heart.

Dear heavenly Father, there are times I ignore the voice of Your Spirit urging me to obey. At this moment, soften my heart. I long to follow Your ways, and I know that as I do, I’ll be faithful inside and out.