Obedience (Part Two)

If you look up the word "obedience" it brings up Hitler and peer pressure. This however I don't see applies to the obedience God talks about.

God's Word is like a lifetime of discoveries, trials, lessons and realizations, all laid out for us to read and learn about. I don't think there is any degree that could give you the knowledge the Bible does. You not only learn from God's message, but the lives of so many others who have gone before us. It is the most reliable history book out there. But, being a christian, I don't look at it as a history book. It is so much more. It's thousands of "family dinner table talks", it's a whole bunch of parent wisdom, it's one man who fulfills my romantic dreams.

The problem is, we treat the Bible like something we must read lest we be struck down or not wake in the morning. That's ridiculous.

How can we change the way we look at the Bible? How about changing the way we look at obedience to God?
Come on, everyone knows the strike down message I mentioned. If God truly struck down people for their sin, or lack of obedience, none of us would be alive! Besides, He wouldn't have needed to send Jesus to save SINNERS. Right?

I'm here to share my thoughts and study on the subject of obedience.

First, I'd like to point out that EVERYONE sins. Even Christians. Nothing will be perfect until Heaven. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8
I struggle with sin. Mostly, the sin of my pride and trying to do things on my own and not waiting for God. That sin has had it's consequences. I'm being honest about this. I STINK at waiting on the Lord, I get so frustrated that He doesn't do things when I want Him to, lol. Don't I sound like an annoying complainer?! Then I get frustrated at myself that I'm NOT being patient. So, then I get stressed. It is really not good for me. But God is teaching me to rely on Him. Maybe one day I'll get it, I'm still young, I can get it one day...but I'll keep trying :)
I have to say, I FEEL ALONE IN CONFESSING MY SIN. That's sad. We shouldn't be hiding this stuff. We need to EXPOSE it, get embarrassed  and get better! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9 He WILL purify us from unrighteousness, it doesn't say WHEN...just that He will.
Our sin, actually brings GLORY to the message of Jesus. He came to SAVE US from sin...meaning we already had it! "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." John 3:16-17 "Very rarely will someone die for a righteous man, though, for a good man someone might possibly die. But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8 "If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives" 1 John 1:10
So how does this all apply to obedience?...

You may not be able to obey God's Word all the time, but that doesn't mean you don't try.
"If you love Me, obey My commands" John 14:15
Do you love Him?
Does your heart love Him?

"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'" Matthew 15:18 
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" 1 Samuel 16:7

Why do we think that obedience is by actions? Why are we so convinced that if we DO good, we are "okay"? The first 2 commandments are about our relationship with God. Where He is in our lives. God uses things of the HEART all throughout His word. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal" Matthew 6:19

I, more than anyone I know, believe the husband should be the head of the household, and the wife should help the husband by up keeping the household in what the husband has set. I do not believe the woman should work UNLESS the house is taken care of. It is the woman's role to bring up the children and the man's role to instruct the children.
But if the man's motive to work is just to make money, he will have nothing to show for it. Money is paper, a thing (see second commandment about "idol's"). The same for a woman. If she is forsaking the care of her children to go pursue "paper". Need I say more?

The issue with what I think, is that because of sin, many men are no longer taking up their role, and things get sooo messy. BUT, if a husband has a job, and the household has children, I don't see a need for a woman to work, other than to pursue "stability" outside of God's provision. Yes, I just said it.
God in essence says "I have given your husband a job. check. I have given you children to care for. check." By a woman working, she adds worry to her husband because she ISN'T caring for the home while he's away...or then he has to leave work early or entirely to care for the children which was her job in the first place AND she is not caring for the children God gave her while she is at work.
Again, because of sin, people want BIG homes and need two incomes to stay in their "wants" (not "needs", God provides those according to His Word), or people sleep with each other before marriage and the man doesn't have time to pursue a stable job, or the household does not trust God to provide their needs each day, instead they would feel better knowing there will be money, rather than trusting. This is not to say that they don't trust God at all. But their hearts are so set on feeling better, that they don't let God have His way... especially if that way is HARD.

This may bring you to fully disagree with me, but I have seen God's blessings and provisions come more to the families whose Mom's stay at home, than for those whose Mom's work. Working Mom's are a lot more stressed because they are trying to live two lives....that of the world (money money money) and that of Lord (being at home). Trying to live both was not God's plan. "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God." Titus 2:4-5

Somehow, being at home is now considered boring, lazy and selfish. When the women who I have had the pleasure to know and be counseled by are the happiest and most content, and they have never thought to have any other job but motherhood. And those who struggle with being home or working...are bored at home.
When we settle for the ways of this world, it never satisfies. But the ways of the Lord, when embraced and NOT questioned, they are exciting and fulfilling. 

What sort of idol's keep you from obeying the Lord without questioning?
What kind of "wants" have you placed in your life that rob God's plan from your life?
Are there things that you should give up so that you can fully trust the Lord?

I'm going to end with a example:

My father had a heart transplant June 2012. We weren't quite sure how we would pay for things. We weren't really sure what kind of pay he would receive from being out of work. 
I sat at the table with my Mom and she told me she had been playing around with the idea of getting a job to help pay for the hospital bills. I have a 7 year old brother. He was being home schooled but because of the situation we had taken a break from school for the time being. A few days later, my Mom shared with me that she had been praying about whether God wanted her to get a job for the time being. My Mom feels the same that I do about mothers working, but she was thinking it might be needed just for now, ya know, until we "get back on our feet". She told me that God told her "I have given you this child, to care for, to teach and to nurture. I have plans for this child in the future. I have not assigned anyone else to care for this child. I have chosen you. And I am able to provide for your needs, if you will do what I have asked of you". My Mom isn't working. She is focused on the task God has called her to. My Dad, doesn't have to worry about my brother. My Dad, is working part-time. He is ABLE to be focused on work, because my Mom is focused on her job! God has gone above and beyond for my family. We are careful with spending. But we NEVER worry about shelter, food or clothing. God has healed my father from 12 years of congestive heart failure, BECAUSE we trusted Him. Our situation is different than what most people may experience, but the Bible is the same, the God we serve is the same, yesterday and today...the same.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying  can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more cloth you, O you of little faith? So do not worry saying 'what will we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?'. For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:25-34

Your job is not to prepare "just in case God doesn't take care of you" your job is to obey God knowing He will take care of you.

What kind of things do you need to trust God more on?
Is money a priority? Or is obedience to God?
Do you trust God will meet your needs, even if it isn't by YOUR DOING?

That IS obedience. This IS faith.

(I know this is a difficult subject these days, but I don't think it needs to be. God is the same. And if you are His child, He will take care of you! SEEK HIM, FIRST!)