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What Christmas Teaches Us About Obedience


Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:38

 

What is obedience?

Obedience is defined as, “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.” It’s a decision that we make to respect God and those He has placed in charge of us, even when it isn’t easy. When we choose to be obedient, we are able to receive all of the promises that God has made to those who follow Him.

What does this mean for me?

The Bible gives us clear directions on how God wants us to behave. In the Old Testament, He gave Moses a list of Ten Commandments that He wanted the Israelites to follow. The rules came because His people, the Israelites, were not making the right choices on their own. He deeply loved the Israelites (in the same way that He loves us today), but they were making decisions that hurt both Him and each other. Teaching the Israelites to do what was right was a way that He showed how much He cared for them.

The rules that God gave His people in the wilderness still apply today, meaning we’re still supposed to follow them. To help us understand what the Ten Commandments mean, Jesus summarized them in the New Testament. In Matthew, He tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:38-39). To help us even more, He also gave us a new commandment: “Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

All the commandments that God has given show How much He loves us. His laws aren’t about Him being bossy, they’re how he helps us live peacefully and with purpose.  What’s interesting is that the Bible says that being obedient to those commandments shows God that we love Him! This is because obedience shows that we trust Him. It shows that we believe Him when he says that He will provide for us (Philippians 4:19), defend us (Romans8:31), and work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

 

Why does this matter so much?

Obedience can be difficult, especially when we don’t understand why we’re being asked to do something. It’s hard to be kind to someone who was mean to you or to pray for someone who hurt your feelings. But obedience isn’t about knowing what God is planning or why. It’s just about trusting that whatever He’s planning is good. Can you imagine what life would be like if Mary had chosen not to be obedient when the angel told her that God had chosen her to give birth to Jesus? She didn’t know exactly what God was doing, and she even asked how it was possible that she would conceive a baby. However, her final words to the angel were agreement to be obedient, and she opened the door for God to do great and mighty things for all of us.

Conclusion

God doesn’t force obedience, but He does ask for it. He has good plans for us, but we have to do what He asks if we want those good plans to happen. Loving God means that we follow His commandments (John 14:21), and the Bible is full of promises for people who choose to be obedient. However, knowing what He’ll do for us should never be more important than knowing what He will do with us. God wants us, His children, with Him for all of eternity, and He needs you to help others know that it’s possible to be with Him forever.

Prayer

We are told to walk like Jesus (1John 2:6), which means that we ask God to help us make the choices that honor Him. One of those choices is to be keep God’s commandments, which can be really hard. Thankfully, God hears us when we ask Him to help us do what’s right.

 

Father, thank you for forgiving me when I choose not to be obedient. Teach me to understand that keeping your commandments keeps me safe. I believe that you have good plans for me and for those around me. Help me to always trust you, and use me to show others your goodness and your faithfulness. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen

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