Christian Living

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Obedience.

It's something we teach our children to do and something we expect others to follow. We expect people to obey the laws of the road for example, when we are coming up over a hill on the highway we expect the other driver to be in their lane and not in ours. We expect people to be quiet during the movie. Those who are being loud we deem as rude and inconsiderate. We expect our politicians to be truthful (maybe) and our teachers to be ethical, treating every child the same and giving each one the chance for a future. There's an unspoken rule between friends that we listen and act on each other's suggestions from time to time, a give and take almost like a dance, to demonstrate our love and acceptance for each other. Thus, solidifying the friendship. So, why oh why, is it so hard to obey God? Are His rules so hard to follow?

Every day around the world Christians are pressured by the rules of this world. We see and hear about things that unbelievers are doing and we are tempted to do them also. Sometimes it can be tough to stand out from the crowd and do things different. God calls us to walk obediently with Him. We are His children and He has called us to live holy lives with His help. He offers us help. He promises us help. He delivers help when we cry out for it. Living in this world is hard. Living free with God is not hard. We just align ourselves with Him and stand up for Him and we find that our lives are so transformed that we have no choice but to celebrate with Him everyday the love we have in Him.

We also find that obeying God's commands are not hard either. I think it is harder to remember which lie one told another than to tell the truth in all instances. I think it is harder to do something in secret and try to get away with it than to do the right thing at all times and not worry about getting caught. Romans 2:6&7 says: "God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immorality, he will give eternal life."

Through His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to live holy lives that are pleasing to God. We don't have to hide in the shadows and wonder if anyone knows the truth about us or how they would feel about us if they did know. The truth of our character would be a light for the whole world to see. We wouldn't worry about what others thought about us, we would only worry about what God thinks of us.

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