Obedience from Joy

If we prioritize obedience before joy, then we turn it into a work of law that lacks joy. 

Obeying the Lord Jesus is not to be a burden and something we have to do. True obedience isn’t about begrudgingly and slavishly following rules. Obedience joyfully leaps from a heart that’s been transformed by the powerful good news. When we truly believe the good news and receive God’s good Fatherly grace to us and for us, obedience becomes a natural response to this kind of love. Obedience becomes a joyful “want to” rather than a brooding “have to”. This kind of obedience is about wanting what God wants because we trust his heart for us.

1 John 5:3 (ESV) 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

How might your perspective on obedience change if you viewed it as a joyful response to God’s love rather than a duty to fulfill?

Prayer: Father, transform my heart so that my obedience springs from love and joy rather than obligation. Amen.