This is A Simple Truth Christians Often Get Wrong

As Christians, we're wrong if we obey God for selfish motives ... there is only one way to obey God that glorifies Him. Find out what that is here... #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings #LoveGod #HisGraceGirls #LoveOthers #Blessings

I had an AHA moment not too long ago … I realized Christians often get something wrong. At least, I know I occasionally get it wrong.

What’s it?

Obedience.

We get obedience wrong when our motives are wrong. (Wait, don’t leave now. I promise, it’s a good thing to obey anyway but we’ll talk about that in a minute.)

So I asked myself the following questions…

Why do you obey God or maybe the better question is why do you try to obey God?

To earn His favor?
To look good at church?
To make friends?
To influence others?
To feel good about yourself?
So “it will go well for you?”
All of the above?

God promised it would go well for those who obey Him…

Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 12:28

But I’ve been wondering if wanting a blessed and comfy life is really the best motive for my obedience.

Is it God-pleasing for me to want to obey Him to earn His favor, to look good to my friend, to feel good about myself, or even because I want His blessings?

My honest answer is “I don’t think so!”

Why?

Because everything on my list is ME focused!

And that’s what we can so easily get wrong.

The Truth Christians Often Get Wrong

As I read in Deuteronomy recently, the following words practically jumped off the page:

“If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.”
Deuteronomy 28:9–10

God does not want us to obey to show the world who we are … He wants us to obey to show the world who He is.

Not to show that we are good, but to show that He is good, loving, and kind.

Not to show that we are better than those who don’t obey, but to show that His ways are best … that treating others with respect, compassion, and love represents Jesus.

Not to show that what the Bible says is right, but to show that God’s commands are perfect … commands that show how His perfect love has the power to change hearts and lives.

So, my goal is to imprint the following words on my heart.

“I don’t obey God to show who we are . . . we obey to show who God is because we love Him.”

Simply put…

Obedience glorifies God!

Obeying God’s commands is not about you. It’s not about me. It’s not about theology or doctrine. It’s not about being right. It’s not even about being holy.

Obedience is about God. It’s about living to bring glory to the One who loves us so much He died to show us.

Friend, I think the point is that you and I need to take ourselves out of the obedience equation.

If we could only begin to obey God’s will to show how much we love Him.

Jesus gave us an example when He prayed…

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth
John 17:3

David said to his son, Solomon…

My son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If You seek Him, you will find Him.
1 Chronicles 28:9

And Jesus also said…

I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9–10

What awesome promises!

I think you and I obey “to know Him and to make Him known.”

Imagine if we obeyed to love Him and to show His love!

This simple Holy Spirit empowered attitude adjustment has the power to change everything.

No more judgmental pride.
No more rejection.
No more unforgiveness.
No more division.
No more ___________.

Just loving the Lord and loving others for His glory.

And the Good News … is Jesus promises to help us!

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28–29

You and I can trust Him! We can follow where He leads us because He is there to help us every step of the way.

So, what’s the bottom line?

Obedience is not about you or me. It’s not about following the rules. About seeing to it others obey the rules. About judgment, fitting in, or doing it right.

Obedience is about KNOWing God’s will, ASKing for His help to obey, and making known His LOVE … that the world might want to know more about the One who gives us the power to love when it seems impossible.

Knowing Him and Making Him Known!

You and I show God we love Him by loving others.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34–35

This is OBEDIENCE – Showing God’s love and reflecting His glory!

Friend, any other reason for obedience is wrong.

I will add, obeying is always the right thing to do even when we do it with the wrong attitude. Honestly, I have to admit that has happened in my life more often than I care to say.

But…

I am working on an attitude adjustment and I believe that’s what the Lord wants us all to do. To admit we can’t obey Him with the right motives on our own but with His help, you and I can…

… do everything through Christ, who gives [us] strength.
Philippians 4:13

So, I’m praying…

Father, I love you! I want to KNOW YOU and OBEY YOU. Your Word says You know my heart … my motives. I want to obey You with motives that please You … that glorify You, that will make You known to others. Father, I want the world to know and love You the way I do.

Your Word also tells me that I don’t have to do my life on my own … that may be especially true when it comes to obedience. I love this promise…

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 2:13

Thank you for faithfully giving me everything I need to live for Your glory each day.

I come to You, Jesus, asking Your Spirit to help me obey the Law of Love that everyone I meet might want to KNOW You because they have seen You in me. By Your grace and for Your glory. Amen.

One last thing, if you have checked out the #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory post and the #WWGGG Facebook Page, make sure you take a minute to find out more.

I’m praying your day is filled with blessings and countless reasons to praise the One who loves you most and best!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Jesus, Help Me Obey and Love with Faith and Patience

4 / 16 / 194 / 13 / 19

The Lord spent the Tuesday of Holy Week teaching important truths, so we're praying Jesus, help me obey and love... #Faith #BibleStudy #TrustJesus #CountingMyBlessings

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus spent one last day teaching in the Temple Courtyard and the leading priests and elders came to Him with a challenge…

“By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
Matthew 21:23

After answering their question with a question … He began teaching some very important lessons about obedience, love, patience, and faithfulness.

So today, we’re going to pray and ask the Lord to help us sit with Him and learn the important truths we need to love and obey His commands and patiently wait with unwavering faith.

Jesus, Help Me Obey and Love with Faith and Patience

Jesus, I am overwhelmed that even though You had cleared the Temple courtyard the day before and You knew the very leaders of that Temple would succeed in their efforts to have You tortured and killed … You returned yet again to teach them the truth. To give them one more opportunity to change their hearts and minds and believe.

Your love amazes me. You continue to pursue each one of us … offering Yourself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Offering the transforming power of faith.

Please forgive me for the hurriedness that prevents me from sitting with You — listening and learning. Please forgive me for the times I’ve believed lies without examining them against the truths that You taught. Forgive me the many times I’ve failed to love the way You want and wait the way You ask. I’m so sorry.

I’m asking You to help me sit with Your Word today and hold the truths You taught in my heart praying…

Please Lord Jesus, help me…

Obey when You ask me to go and work. Matthew 21:28–32
Surrender my heart, my life, my all to You, the Cornerstone of our faith. Matthew 21:33–44
Prepare my heart and mind for heaven knowing that to enter, I am completely dependent upon You, my Lord and Savior. Matthew 22:1–14
Trust and obey Your commands to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself. Matthew 22:34–40
Sit and learn both the Old and New Testaments that I might know and understand the way every account and testimony points to You. Matthew 22:41–45
Help me to test the teachings of people against the teachings of Scripture that I might know the Truth that gives me forgiveness and freedom. Matthew 23:2–12
Surrender my life completely to You that I might reject hypocrisy and be clean inside and out. Matthew 23:23:13–36
Give You my all. Luke 21:1–4
Faithfully wait and watch … always prepared and ready for You to come for me personally or for Your triumphant return for us all. Matthew 25:1–13
Invest in things that matter. Make me a faithful servant. Matthew 25:14–30
Do for others in love as if I were doing for You … for this is your will for me. Matthew 25:31–46

Lord, thank you for seeing to it that Your teachings were written for us. Thank you for being the Way for us to be forgiven and restored to the Father. Thank you for being the Truth that gives us freedom today and hope for tomorrow. Thank you for being the Life we need … life that lasts forever and always.

Thank you for being all we need to heal our past, to live in the present, and to face the future with anticipation and joy.

Thanks and praise forever and always. Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

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You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

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I’m asking God to bless you today!

Why You Need to Seek the Truth About Obedience and Love

4 / 16 / 184 / 16 / 18

I’ve studied the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah.

And I have to admit, I feel bad for the prophets. I’ll bet they didn’t get invited to many parties! They spent their lives proclaiming God’s impending judgment on His people for their failure to trust God through obedience and love.

The more I read and studied, the more God lit this fire in my soul as He showed me verse after verse that could apply to our culture today.

A few verses that hit me hard are…

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet bitter. Isaiah 5:20

Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.'” Jeremiah 35:13

“Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ‘Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.’ But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways.” Jeremiah 44:4–5a

These and other verses like them started my spirit squirming and I felt the Lord prodding me to write about the connection between obedience and love.

This is the deal…

I know you and I live under the New Covenant. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

Still, throughout the Bible, God says an important part of living our faith is doing our best to obey God’s commands and follow His will in loving response to who He is and all He’s done. In response to His love!

You see, the thing I keep thinking about is this…

Much of what the people were doing that brought about God’s punishment was passed down from one generation to the next. They listened to the wrong voices and when God sent them prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, they ignored them and continued to do what they’d always done — worshipping idols and ignoring the Sabbath.

And I wonder about the idols I might be serving without even realizing it and if I’m honoring the Sabbath the way God wants me to.

Because I love God and I want to love Him through obedience.

Something else Jeremiah called out – is that the people followed a worship ritual but maintained a sinful lifestyle. It was religion without a personal commitment to God. (Life Application Bible Notes Jeremiah 7:2–3)

I keep wondering if we’re worshipping God the way He wants … not only in honoring the Sabbath by going to church but by the way we spend that day and every other day of the week.

Again, remember … I’m not throwing out grace here. I am totally dependent on Gospel grace.

It’s easy to view the Old Testament as all “Law” and the New Testament all “Gospel.” But all of Scripture from Genesis through Revelation points to Jesus and He is the Gospel … obedience and love in human flesh!

God selected Abraham and his descendants as His chosen people not to exclude the other nations but because He wanted to draw all people to Himself through them. Had the Israelites followed God’s will they would have shown surrounding nations the blessings of living as God’s children.

God wanted His people to be “holy” or “set apart” … to look different from everyone else because as He blessed their obedience, others would want what they had.

Isn’t that what God wants for Jesus’ followers today?

When people see us enjoying the blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control … they should want what we have.

That’s the backstory of God’s prompting and prodding me to write this new series.

It fits with my word for the year – SEEK.

And my verse, which is…

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

There’s another one found just a few verses later:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

So, you and I are going to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK as we take a closer look at some of the hard questions facing Christians today about obedience and love.

Things like:

Is the Bible the Inspired and inerrant Word of God?

What does it mean to have NO OTHER GODS?

Does God care how I REMEMBER THE SABBATH?

How should I honor my parents when they make me crazy?

And then we’ll look at some of the hard sayings of Jesus like:

“Love your enemies.”

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

And with each post, we’re going to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK.

We will…

ASK – Ask hard questions and ask God to reveal His truth and wisdom to us.
SEEK – Seek answers by searching through Scripture.
KNOCK – Knock down lies and walk through the door Jesus opens into freedom.

You and I serve an awesome and amazing God!

I want everyone to know, love, and trust Him.

Yet, for some reason, followers of Jesus are represented as judgmental and hypocritical.

Maybe we can change that!

Shouldn’t we try?!

This is important…

I’m on this journey with you!

I don’t have all the answers. I will never preach at you. I will only ask questions with you and I hope you’ll join me as we search for answers together. You see, although you and I may not have the answers now … we know the One who does and I believe, He wants us to know them.

Also…

I need your help with a couple of things and would love to hear from you…

I want to know your hard questions. What do you want to talk about?

And… I want to know your stories about the ways God is revealing the importance of loving Him through obedience.

Why seeking the truth about obedience and love is important to me…

I spent much of my life trying to be a “good girl.” I obeyed the rules and wore myself out trying to please God and people.

More recently, I’ve realized that some of the rules I was trying to obey were based on tradition not necessarily God’s will as He revealed it through His Word.

I want to know the difference. I want to know what’s important and what isn’t. Don’t you?

Jesus said:

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. John 14:21

“All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.” John 14:23–24

And He promised:

“I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

I love Jesus. I want to know His commands and obey them.

And…

I want people to see the blessings of Jesus in my life and want what I have.

I want them to know the blessings of loving Jesus, too.

Are you ready to ASK hard questions, to SEEK God’s will, and KNOCK on the door that Jesus will open … the one that leads to blessed freedom, joy, peace, love, and so much more?

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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I LOVE hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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5 Ways to Surrender to God and Enjoy Peace

9 / 12 / 169 / 14 / 19

Complete surrender to God begins with saying, "Not my will, but Yours be done." Although it can feel hard at times it's the only way to enjoy God's peace. #Bible #Trust #Peace #Isaiah #Surrender

Last week, I asked you if you’d like an early warning system for your life.

Over the weekend, we received another Red Alert phone call in the middle of the night. 4:00AM to be exact . . . first, the land line rings and we answer it; then, about 5 minutes later, both of our cell phones ring.

Sleep was a thing of the past as potential danger disturbed the peace.

One of the hardest sentences in a Christian’s life is…

“Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done.”

That’s surrender to God!

Trusting God is who He says He is.
Being confident He is able to do what He says He will do.
Living completely at peace in the knowledge of His love.

Jesus showed us how to completely surrender and trust God’s will . . . through obedience and sacrifice. But surrendering to God’s will didn’t begin with Jesus…

I found help in the Book of Isaiah as well.

5 Ways to Surrender to God and Enjoy Peace

1. Let Go of Control and Surrender to God’s Plans and Purposes

I’ll admit, I like to control what happens in my life. I want what I want and I want it now. But fighting God’s plans for me is not a path to happiness and peace. It’s never worked.

So, I’ll pray and with God’s help, I will surrender to and trust His will . . . remembering His past faithfulness and my control-driven failures I’ll live today through faith.

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
Isaiah 46:9–10

2. Let Go of Worry and Surrender in Faith

If worry was an Olympic sport, I’d have a trophy case of medals. The list of things I’ve worried about is too long for this space. I’d memorized the verse “don’t worry about tomorrow” but I failed to apply it.

And there is no peace for a worrier. None!

So, I’ll pray and with God’s help, I will trust Him to give me peace as I surrender my concerns to His care.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3

3. Let Go of the Past and Let God Heal Your Heart

You can’t have peace and keep reliving the past. I know. I’m guilty as charged. God has graciously forgiven my past and gives me all I need to forgive those who have hurt me. I need to surrender to His healing.

So, I’ll pray and with God’s help, I will trust Him to help me live in this moment. And I will anticipate new things to come.

But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
Isaiah 43:18–19

4. Let Go of Impatience and Trust God’s Timing

I like a dinner I can make in 15 minutes or less and I like God to answer my prayers about as quickly. I’m not very good at waiting on His timing.

And there is no peace in fighting God’s perfect timing.

So, I’ll pray and with God’s help, I will trust Him to give me peace and strength when I need to wait on His timing.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaian 40:31

5. Let Go of Willfulness and Surrender to God’s Commands

I can be a creature of habit and not all of them are good.

And there is no peace in disobedience.

It’s a big deal! Peace isn’t the only thing I sacrifice when I disobey God. I end up dealing with unpleasant consequences and reduce what others think about Him.

So, I’ll pray and with God’s help, I can believe His ways are best. I can have an attitude of obedience. Not to earn His favor but to glorify Him and show His goodness.

Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name.
Isaiah 26:8

I surrender!

Not on my own. I can’t.

But with God’s help . . . I can!

I can do all things through Christ because He gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

These 10 quotes inspire me to surrender to God’s will and enjoy peace.

♥ “If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!”~Elisabeth Elliot

♥ “There is never a moment when God is not in control. Relax! He’s got you covered.” ~Mandy Hale

♥ “Surrendering to Christ is like signing your name to a blank check and letting the Lord put in the amount.” ~Billy Graham

♥ “It is wonderful what miracles God works in wills that are utterly surrendered to Him” ~Hannah Whitall Smith

♥ “I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” ~Martin Luther

♥ “What Thou wilt, when Thou wilt, how Thou wilt.” ~John Newton

♥ “May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of myself as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.” ~Andrew Murray

♥ “Real contentment must come from within. You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.” ~Warren Wiersbe

♥ “Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God.” ~Author Unknown

♥ “We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to give all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” ~R. C. Sproul

Prayer to Surrender

A dear friend shared this prayer this prayer with me:

I surrender this day to You, Father. I will follow where You lead and do Your will as You reveal it to me. Help me live this promise – that I may live today for Your glory. In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

May it be the way I begin each day, and with God’s help lived out one moment at a time.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!