Obedience to the Father
Obedience. Being obedient. Obeying, or willing to obey. Do we really do this when it comes to following Christ? Are we doing this out of love for Him?
“[18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28: 18-20
It’s such a simple thing to say that Jesus commanded us to do this, but then when it comes around to actually getting off our bums to do this, well, we don’t get up.
I’m sitting here in Brussels, that’s where I’m at right now at this present time, and wondering really on why I am here. Not saying, “I hate this place and I want to go back home to Smyrna, Tennessee,” or saying, “Oh gosh, I love this place so much, I’m never going back to Smyrna, Tennessee,” but I’m talking to God on why I am here for the purpose of Him using me in His will for the next few months of me being here.
Well, let’s track back on how I got here. I was first asked by LifePoint, my church that I attend back in Smyrna, Tennessee, probably around April or May of 2012 asking if I would want to do an internship with our Belgium campus for ninety days, come back to Tennessee for ninety days because of VISA policies, then go back again for ninety days. I remember I was at work and was just in amazement and confusion of this new exciting adventure Jesus wanted me to go on. Wow. So I prayed about it and finally submitted to the command God gave me, “Go to Belgium.” Over the course of the next couple of months, I was preparing for my trip to our campus in Bangkok, Thailand for a six week internship, when Satan came and planted fear and doubt into me. I was letting worldly things enter my thoughts over God’s will for me to go to Belgium. “Think about what could happen over those three months you would be away from home. No job. You have school. Who would take care of your father? I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” I let ungodly advice change my decision on going. So I shrugged it off, like many, many things I have shrugged off in the past.
So I was content on just really walking this straight line of ordinary. Not going outside of the ring of protection that I have once again built up in my heart. While I was in Bangkok, one night God and I had a “define the relationship” moment, and He told me I needed to summit. I once again had to be hit upside the head with, “No servant is greater than his Master.” Jesus is the master of my fate and the captain of my soul. He knows where He’s leading me. I needed to see that His will is what is best for my life.
“[12] So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. [13] Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. [14] For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. [15] Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. [16] Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”- Hebrews 13:12-16
I’m not of this world. There’s nothing for me here. So I needed to get out of that bubble. A lot of the time we think Jesus is telling us to “Go,” but really, He’s saying “Come.” He’s outside the camp. He’s not sitting on His bum in the church, He’s up and moving. He’s everywhere.
So I need to live my hardest and give up the things that I, myself, am letting get in the way of my love and passion for my Lord. That meant a lot of things for my life style that I could type about, but if you know anything about me, you know that I love my earthly father, Boyd. He is the main illustration that I have of the Heavenly Father’s love for me. He is my greatest friend on earth. Hopefully he still has many years left in him, God willing, but I can’t let my selfishness of wanting to spend all the time I can get with him get in the way of my love for the Father. I’m glad people at least know that about me, that I love my dad, but I want people to see that I love Jesus, so much more. Three months being away from your dad might not seem like much to give up, but for me, it’s something I look out as a treasure almost, and I want to give that up for Jesus. I’m not trying to write this to lift up Ryan Arms, his story, his dad. I’m trying to lift up Jesus because in no possible way would I ever be able to do this without His Spirit living inside of me.
I was also seeing Satan attack me with complacency. Being comfortable. James 1: 19-26 speaks on about being doers of the Word, rather than being hearers of the Word. Satan wants you to go to church and critique the sermon you heard, thinking it wasn’t good enough for you today. Satan wants you to go to small group and have fellowship, read the word, cry on each other’s shoulder, leave, and nothing change. Satan wants you to post stuff on Facebook and Twitter, “God’s good. He’s in control,” and then completely go and trash that image with what you did last night and what you’re going to continue on doing following nights. It’s that straight path I was on that just turns into a roundabout, then leading back the opposite direction of Christ. Satan hates action. I had to act. Why do you think John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter preached on such a subject? Repent, change, and the go, and make disciples.
Luckily, my church was gracious enough to let me go back the second ninety days the interns were going. In many ways, the Lord was still sovereign over my disobedience, but there was still this call of change and action. He wasn’t going to wash my laundry, dry it, and then fold it. He was just letting me know I had dirty clothes on the floor. I had a lot of things I had to get to and make right so I could be living my life for Christ to the extent that is needed to shine His light, and that still will never be enough.
I want to leave you with this and pray for your delight in following God’s will for your life, that I, and you too, can say this with pride and joy one day, and to others we are sharing with.
“ [3] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. [4] And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”-1 John 1:3-4