Love is the greatest inspiration to obedience.
I look over my life and see plenty of disobedience—toward my parents and then also toward God. I loved my parents and I knew they loved me. I love God and know he loves me. So, why did I disobey as a child and why do I still struggle to obey God as an adult?
My heart is deceitful above all things. When I read that in Jeremiah 17.9 for the first time, I thought, Wow, that’s a strong statement. I didn’t want to accept it – but my heart proves it over and over again. I don’t know how a hurt, offense, disappointment, or personal desire will influence my heart and my decisions. I don’t know today what personal struggle of obedience I may have next week.
God knows. He knows the hurdles ahead and the hardships of our past. Through all of it, he works. We need God’s love to stand on, to be wrapped in, to hold on to, and to call us to obedience.
We are being made. From the inside out, God shapes you, me, and our children. His work is in our heart. Our heart bends toward who or what we love most. Our decisions reflects who or what captivates our heart. The same is true for our child.
“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3.18b)
Each opportunity of obedience provides practice for us to respond to God’s foremost command: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6.5)
God knows this ONE submission will inspire us to GREAT OBEDIENCE.
It’s just so hard for us.
But, it’s not too hard. “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you…” (Deuteronomy 30.11) God commands what he knows we can do – with his help. The more we know him and embrace his love for us, the more we love him and want to obey him.
As we experience God’s great love and practice obeying him, we learn how to love and discipline our child.
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