Walking In Obedience

by HJS

In the military you accept the discipline of obedience when you enlist. You learn to stand tall, throw back your shoulders and bark, "Yes sir!" on cue. Failure to comply means paying the price: Scrub the barracks floor with a toothbrush, run ten kilometers in your bare feet, stand at attention at the broiling sun or get tossed into the stockade. 

There's another kind of discipline, the kind that takes doctors out on call in the middle of the night, that keeps a scholar up nights studying far into the early hours of the morning and that motivates mothers to respond to the cry of their babies.

What's the difference? Military discipline leaves a mark on a person, but often the rigid discipline is left behind after the stint. Self-discipline, on the other hand, is a lifestyle that is dictated by conscience or desire, not fear or force. It feeds on duty or the desire to accomplish something worthwhile and lasting.

This leads us to ask, "Which side does a Christian find himself on when it comes to obeying God?" Is the discipline of the Christian life a voluntary one? Or does God force you to knuckle under? Before you answer, think about these:

First, you have a will of your own. Jesus stands at the crossroads and says simply, "Follow me!" It's your decision, your choice.

Second, some things have to be taken by faith - things we accept because we believe God knows what is best for us.

Once you are convinced that God does know the future and what is best for His children, learning to walk in simple obedience becomes a joy, not a chore.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.  HEBREWS 5:8