worthy lives & obedience

October 3, 2011

If we are to join Paul in his petition, we will have to align ourselves with his motives: "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way." In thought, word, and deed, in action and in reaction, I must be asking myself, "What would Jesus have me do? What is speech or conduct worthy of him? What sort of speech or conduct in this context should I avoid, simply because it would shame him? What would please him the most?"
Rightly pursued, these simple questions would transform how we work, what we do with leisure time, how we talk with our spouses and children, what responsibilities we take on in our churches, what we read, what we watch on television, how we treat our neighbors, what we do with our money. (A Call to Spiritual Reformation, 106)

Again and again, I'm reminded that I must live a life worthy of not just God's calling but of God Himself.  Carson makes a good illustration of how some cultures have a shame culture, like our own Asian culture.  Children don't want to disappoint their parents, don't want to bring shame to their families, etc. and yet we think very little of what would bring shame to God regarding the things we say or the things we do.  I think if Jesus were physically beside us and visible to the human eye, we'd live pretty different lives. But it's ironic because Jesus IS with us, always, even if we can't see him, and yet we live as if he weren't there.  I need to continue to be on my guard in the things I say, the things I watch, and in the things I do, that I may live a life worthy of God.

What Paul means is that knowledge of God's will, knowledge that consists of all spiritual wisdom and understanding, turns in part on obedience, on conformity to the will of God. We must learn something of that will in order to obey it; discovery of more of that will is contingent on obeying what we know of it. (108)

That bolded part really stuck out to me. If I want to know more of God's will, I need to obey what I already know of it. I find that to be an amazing truth and I see the realities of it.  If I do not obey what it is I already know, how would I discover even more of God's amazing will and truths? If I'm not obeying in the little things, how can I obey in the big things? I think often we get caught up in 'figuring out God's will for our lives' whether it be in career, marriage, school, job, kids, etc., but maybe those things would come by easier if we'd begin to obey already in the things we know of God's will? Like praying, spending more time with Him just dwelling in His presence, loving others, etc.  I think with that realization, I'm going to be spending more time obeying and carrying out what I already know of God's will for me is - to love others, to dwell in His presence, and to trust in Him - and not so much worrying and being anxious about what exactly the future holds, because I believe those things will naturally be revealed when I start obeying now.  

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

I need to consciously give thanks in all circumstances - when I'm busy and when I'm free, when I'm stressed and when I'm relaxed, when I'm happy and when I'm angry, when things are going well and when things are going completely crazy. I have much to give thanks for and related to the above point, this is God's will for me - that I give thanks in all circumstances. And so I shall obey and find much joy :)