How To Develop The Desire To Obey God

October 24

~ Today’s Scripture Art and Bible blog post are designed to help you find out how to develop a desire to obey God. ~

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There I was again, grappling with what God was asking me to do. Something I didn’t really want to do. Something I didn’t have time to do. Honestly, something I was scared to do.

My heart beat a little faster. I tried to ignore it.

But my mind raced. I commenced the whining.

Counted the costs and justified the cons.

Laid out solid, logical reasons for not doing it.

Then put it off and hoped it would be forgotten.

Sometimes I think my most creative work comes into play when I don’t want to be obedient! I’m not proud of that.

Do I really want to keep letting comfort and fear win?

Here’s what I’ve learned. That comfort I was seeking?

It’s a lie.

Turns out, we can’t be comfortable and disobedient at the same time. In reality, we’ll just be miserable.

Read that again.

So we might want to rethink putting off obedience.

It’s time to stop denying the reality. Comfort and contentment are not found in avoiding obedience.

Just the opposite – comfort and contentment are found in walking with God in obedience! Take a look …

Jeremiah 7:23 (ESV): But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’

Jesus not only understood that concept, but He actually wanted to be obedient – over His own desires.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV): And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Can we develop that desire to obey?

Having that desire sure would make a difference, so let’s see what we can find out in the Word.

Like me, Jesus did think twice …

Matthew 26:39 (ESV): And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

But unlike me, He added in the same breath, “Not my will, but Thine.”

And He meant it – because He obeyed the hardest request ever.

May we follow His lead.

May we obey hard requests.

Wait.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? We’re just mere mortals. We’re not as strong as Jesus!

Romans 7:18 (ESV): For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

How can we be expected to be like the Son of God?

1 Peter 2:21 (ESV): For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

It may seem impossible, but there you have it. We are called to follow in His steps – even though we are weak humans.

The good news is, He made a way for it to be achievable!

And I’m excited about His way because …

God doesn’t mean for us to try, try, try our best to do this.

(Thank goodness. Because I frequently fail at try, try, trying.)

He has a better plan than that – one where He will get all the glory instead of us.

He gives us the gift of His Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13 (ESV): In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

The Key to Obediently Walking With God

Instead of trying our best to be obedient, all we have to do is …

Walk by the Spirit!

Galatians 5:16 (ESV): But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The walk in “walk by the Spirit” is Strong’s G4043, which means to “live by or be occupied by” the Spirit. In other words, have a relationship – a close relationship. The closer we get, the more He will cause our heart change.

Ezekiel 36:27 (ESV): And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Keep getting closer and He will cause a desire to walk in His will. And He will even equip us with everything we need to do it.

Hebrews 13:21 (ESV): Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

He will do the work in us. He alone.

Our part is to give Him our time. Walk with Him. Cultivate the relationship. Abide.

1 John 2:6 (ESV): Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 5:3 (ESV): For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

What are the first steps?

Just so you know, it is possible to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV): Do not quench the Spirit.

So don’t put Him off like I did. Depend upon the Holy Spirit and He will give you the desire and the equipping as you walk with Him.

Be willing to take the first step of humble obedience. Because that comfort and contentment we mentioned earlier? They’re found in obedience!

What a wonderful, life-changing, opposite-of-what-I-thought realization!

Jeremiah 7:23 (ESV): But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’

*My prayer for you is … that this blog will inspire you to open your Bible every single day to seek God’s face and write His Word on your heart – because HE’S the key to lasting heart change!

*This post was featured in the Walking with God series.

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