Brother… today we need to talk about something many believers misunderstand — something that’s been twisted, criticized, watered down, and misrepresented so badly that people miss the heart behind it altogether.
We’re talking about obedience.
For a lot of Christians, obedience sounds like pressure. It sounds like rules. It feels like a spiritual checklist designed to expose your flaws. But that is NOT the heart of God. Not even close.
Obedience is not God tightening His grip on you —
obedience is God covering you.
Every command He gives, every whisper He speaks, every nudge you feel, every “no” He puts in your spirit…
it’s all coming from a Father who sees where the enemy is waiting long before you ever get there.
This isn’t about control.
It’s about care.
It’s about protection.
It’s about alignment with a God who knows exactly what you need, even when you don’t.
Let’s walk this out.
📜 OUR SPRINGBOARD FOR TODAY’S DISCUSSION IS:
John 14:15 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
When Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments,” He wasn’t saying, “Prove your love to Me by doing what I say.” He wasn’t demanding obedience like a dictator. He wasn’t asking you to jump through spiritual hoops.
He was saying something so much deeper:
“If you knew how much I love you…
you would trust My voice above your impulses.”
Obedience isn’t about performing for God —
obedience is about trusting His heart.
The commands of God were never meant to be burdens. They were meant to be lifelines. They were written out of wisdom, anchored in love, and designed to keep you safe from traps you cannot see.
Most of the pain we experience in life doesn’t come from disobedience —
it comes from delayed obedience.
When God tells you to walk away, He already knows what staying will cost.
When He says, “Let that go,” He knows what holding onto it will do to your soul.
When He says, “Forgive,” He knows bitterness is quietly poisoning you.
When He says, “Stop,” He sees the cliff you don’t see yet.
Every command is a covering.
Every whisper is a rescue.
Every nudge is God clearing landmines out of your path.
And the faster you obey…
the safer your heart remains.
There was a moment in my life when I could feel God pulling at my spirit. He wasn’t shouting… He was whispering. You know the kind — the kind of whisper that settles deep in your chest and doesn’t go away.
But instead of responding right away, I hesitated.
I tried to handle things my way.
I thought, “I’ll fix it. I’ll control it. I can manage this.”
Brother… that hesitation cost me.
I didn’t fall into some dramatic sin.
I fell into something far worse — the consequences of ignoring God’s whisper.
My words cut deeper than they should have.
My reactions were faster than my discernment.
My pride ran ahead of my wisdom.
And the damage that followed was painful — not just for me, but for the people I loved.
And right in the middle of that mess, God spoke so clearly it silenced me:
“Matthew… if you had obeyed Me, this pain would not be here.”
He wasn’t scolding me.
He wasn’t shaming me.
He was grieving with me.
He loved me enough to show me what my disobedience had cost —
not to punish me, but to protect me going forward.
I’ve watched Michelle live this out with a kind of quiet strength that inspires me. Even when she’s exhausted… even when everything in her life feels heavy… she still listens for God’s whisper. And when she hears it, she obeys — gently, consistently, unwaveringly. I’ve seen God carry her through storms simply because she chose to say “yes” before she understood the outcome.
That’s obedience.
Not force…
But trust.
💪 LIVING APPLICATION
Brother, obedience isn’t God making your life harder.
Obedience is God keeping your life whole.
Every time you obey — even in something small — you shift the atmosphere around you. You step out of harm’s way. You shut the door on spiritual attack. You walk into blessing that disobedience could never produce.
Obedience is your protection.
Obedience is your victory.
Obedience is your pathway to holiness.
🙏 PRAYER
Father… teach me to obey quickly.
Teach me to trust Your commands even when I don’t see the danger.
Soften my heart when You speak.
Strengthen my will when You redirect me.
Make obedience my first response, not my last resort.
In Jesus’ name — amen.
