Obedience, Regardless

   Obedience, Obedience and still Obedience....

   A portion of today's Scripture in Luke 17 reads thusly:

   "Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did."

   Do I do things for the thanks I get? Do I do them because I want to look good in other's eyes?

  So where do I get the idea of what I am supposed to obey? Sure the Bible says, "Children obey your parents" and "servants obey your masters". Jesus also says that "if you love Me, you keep My commandments".

   I can open my Bible and read these right out, plain and to the point. But there are also other nudges and taps on the shoulder that the Spirit gives me in my life that call for an obedient action, even if others cannot see it that way, and even if no one but God Himself would know whether or not I obeyed that call.

   A case in point: The other day I felt like the Scripture for that morning gave me a clear call about some things to do in my life, some lifestyle adjustments that had been in the back of my mind for some time. Now I am not big into "God told me to do this" ways of speaking and explanations, but circumstances and a check in my spirit seemed to lead in this direction. In order to be sure, I had to follow that direction and leave the results up to Him.

   So I did. I talked to my wife about it, and I talked to those of my friends that this change affected. There were some questions, some puzzled looks and some "well, I don't know about that" statements, but in the final analysis, everyone said, in effect, "follow what you hear God telling you to do".

   So I did.

   I know, I look around and hear in my mind, reasons that this may not be right, that perhaps I have not heard correctly. I can rationalize and come up with other scenarios that might fit me better, but the key is not "me", it is obedience to what I have heard. If I have heard incorrectly, He will let me know surely.

   So I do, and not looking for ways to skirt the issues, not looking for things that could make me go back, not thinking of how it could be different and better for me another way.

   God, Help me to hear and obey regardless......