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“I told you to clean your room!”

“Did you eat your vegetables like I already asked you to?”

“Don’t forget to practice your piano and do your homework!”

The most common context in which we think of obedience is that of a parent and a child - no matter which end of that relationship you’re currently on. As a child (or a teenager), you may not want to be obedient to your parents, especially if they ask you to do something you don’t want to do. As a parent, you may have difficulty getting your kids to be obedient to you.

But what about in a Christian context? What is obedience look like for those of us who follow Jesus? Well, it’s similar to parent-child relationship, with God being the parent and each of us as a child. The big difference is that God is not like any earthly parent; He is perfect, He is unconditionally loving, and He is all-knowing so He truly does know what is best for us, whether it feels like it at the time or not.

Obedience can be defined as the faith response of Christians to the will of God. If you have faith in God, then our response to God is to be obedient to Him and to do whatever He asks us to do. We see this explained in Romans 6:16-18:

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Who are you obeying with your life? Are you obeying God, or are you obeying your sinful desires? Whoever you obey will guide the course of your life. God calls us to a life of obedience to Him in all circumstances. There will be times that we don’t want to do what God is calling us to do, but we need to trust Him with our lives that His intent is truly for the best in our lives.

Our faith is evident in our obedience. As it says in James 2:14 and 18, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ... But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

As His followers, God calls us to obey and not delay in whatever He asks us to do. As difficult as it is, obedience is a key virtue of being a follower of Christ. What is it that God is calling you to do to practice your obedience to Him?