Most people see obedience as a duty, an act of fulfillment because you have to. But obedience is so much more than that. Ultimately, it can convey love like little else can.
When we obey because there is no other choice, it is not really obedience. When we obey out of fear, it is not really obedience. Obedience is an act of love–much more so than most of us really understand.
Let me see if I can explain. As a father, there is nothing more precious to me than when my children choose to obey me. When it is their choice, of their own will, it shows that they have bought in to my value system, that they believe in what is being asked of them, that they trust me, and that they want to be part of my life.
Ultimately, that is what obedience says! It is a great act of love!
Notice this passage from the Bible:
John 14:15,23 – If ye love me, keep my commandments. 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
When you are behind someone, wanting to support them, wanting to show them that you believe in what they believe in, that you trust in where they are going, you will obey their wishes. It is as simple as that!
When I was dating my wife, I would try to discover the things that she liked. I would then go about and try to obey her unspoken desires. I did this! I yielded to her to demonstrate my love for her. Growing up, I obeyed my parents, not because I had to, but because I did not want to jeopardize my relationship with them. Obeying mom and dad was an act of love.
There is very little that says, “I don’t love you,” than a deliberate act of disobedience. It says, “I don’t hold your values, I don’t believe in your decisions, I don’t like your way of life.”
Obedience, on the other hand, shows how clearly you stand with a person. If my children grow up and obey the values and principles and morals that I taught them, there will be little that can compare to that as a gift of love. No present under a Christmas tree can compare to hearing that my children believe as I believe–that they chose to obey my way of life!
