Jesus Boot Camp: Obedience

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obedience
an act or instance of obeying, submission
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Dear Reader, have you ever wondered what life would be like if Jesus hadn’t obeyed His Father’s will to sacrifice His human life for our everlasting ones?
What if the disciples had told Jesus, “No thank, Lord, I’m a little too busy right now”? Or, “Sounds pretty lame to me, Jesus, think I’ll pass”?

Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.
​Matthew 4:19-20 MSG

I’ve spent a lot of years teaching and working with kids. Seems like every class from at least third grade up has had a complaint about obeying rules as simple as lining up. 

“What’s the big deal?” someone will ask. Trust me, they never buy the real answer: it’s a life lesson in complying with/ obeying authority.

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Can you think of anyone in your world, Dear Reader, who doesn’t have to “obey” some kind of authority every day?

  • ​Hmm, do I really have to obey that stop sign?
  • Why should I have to obey the company dress code?
  • What if I don’t want to pay sales tax on my Diet Coke?
  • But I really like her new jacket. It would look great on me. Why shouldn’t I just take it off her hands?

No brainers, right? The big question is will we obey when Jesus calls?

As we enter the season of Lent, the power and impact of Christ’s obedience become up close and personal. Even with the briefest of glimpses at His sacrifices of human suffering and divine authority, how can we choose not to obey His call when He chose to obey our Father’s?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that every time we choose to obey the will of our Heavenly Father, it creates ripple effects in our worlds. The first step in becoming equipped and empowered is obedience. Is there any bigger life lesson than that?


 Obey the Lord and you will live a long life, content and safe from harm.
​Proverbs 19:23 GNT

0 thoughts on “Jesus Boot Camp: Obedience”

  1. So true – we don’t always like obedience, but it is important. Especially where God is concerned the results can be amazing!

  2. You’re right, Lesley. This season I’m learning that perhaps part of the tremendous sacrifice of Jesus was yielding His autonomy so we would have the perfect model of obedience. Praise God, His grace and mercy bridge the gap when our disobedience falls short. Blessings!

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