The Story

Obedience to God is not a burden that makes life smaller. It is the path by which grace leads us into true life. We may feel that God's commands restrict us, but he is protecting us from paths that damage the heart. Our sinful hearts do not naturally love authority. We like to make our own rules and explain why our wrongs are not so wrong. Every act of obedience is evidence that grace is working within us. Jesus Christ obeyed the Father perfectly in our place and died for disobedient people like us. Christian obedience is not an attempt to earn God's love. It is a response to the love we have already received in Christ. See obedience today as a gift, not merely a duty. The Holy Spirit strengthens weak hearts so that we may refuse sin with hope and follow God with joy, even in hidden and ordinary things. Prayer Good and wise Father, I praise you because your commands are not burdens but the path of life. Forgive me for making my own rules and treating obedience as if it blocked my joy. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who obeyed for the disobedient. Holy Spirit, help me obey with joy. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.