Wilderness To Wisdom: 10 Obedience

In this episode, we discuss what it truly means to walk in obedience to God and why it’s essential for a life led by faith. We explore how obedience is not about restriction but about trust, love, and alignment with God’s will. You’ll be encouraged to respond when God leads, even when it’s uncomfortable or unclear, knowing that every step of obedience draws you closer to His purpose.

Transcript

Welcome back to Wilderness to Wisdom.

So far,

As we've been walking through the steps that help us grow in our relationship with God,

We've talked about reading God's word,

Talking with God,

And hearing His voice.

Now,

We're moving on into the next step,

Obedience.

Once we hear from God,

The next step is obedience,

Because hearing from God is amazing,

But it doesn't do us much good if we don't actually respond to what He tells us.

Obedience is where everything we've learned comes to life.

We'll discuss what obedience really is,

Why it's not legalism,

Where fear keeps us stuck,

And how to walk obediently in both big and small ways.

So,

What is obedience?

It's one of the most complex yet fulfilling parts of our walk with God.

It's how what we hear becomes action,

And it's the key that unlocks the life God wants to bless us with.

By definition,

Obedience means compliance with an order,

Request,

Or law,

Or submission to another's authority.

But spiritually,

It's so much deeper than that.

It's not about rigid rule keeping.

It's about a heart posture that says,

God,

I trust you more than I trust myself.

I used to think obedience to God was as simple as going to church,

Giving,

Being a good person,

And doing kind things.

But that was before I really understood what it meant to hear from God and to follow Him even when it doesn't make sense.

The Bible says in James 1,

Verses 22 through 25,

But be doers of the word and not hearers only,

Deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,

He is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

But the one who looks into the perfect law,

The law of liberty,

And perseveres,

Being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts,

He will be blessed in his doing.

Obedience isn't always easy.

It may mean letting go of something you really want.

It means letting go of your agenda and your carnal-minded motives.

It means stepping out of your comfort zone.

But obedience brings blessing,

Not because God is trying to control you,

But because He loves you and knows what's best.

So basically,

Obedience is life-giving,

Not restrictive.

And let's talk about grace versus works.

Obedience is not about having a works-based relationship.

You're not obeying to earn God's love or His blessings.

Because of Jesus,

You already have them.

Romans 5.

19 says,

"'For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners,

"'so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

' "'Because of Adam's disobedience,

Sin entered the world,

"'and our flesh became sinful.

' "'Because of Jesus's obedience,

We are made righteous.

"'It is done.

'" So we're not trying to get God to move,

He already has.

Because of the obedience of Christ,

We're under grace,

And our obedience flows from the heart.

We obey because we are God's children who are already loved,

Blessed,

And made righteous because of Jesus,

Not because we're trying to become loved,

Blessed,

And made righteous.

In the Old Testament,

Before Jesus came,

People obeyed in the flesh,

Striving to earn righteousness through works.

James 2.

8-10 says,

"'If you really fulfill the royal law "'according to the scripture,

"'you shall love your neighbor as yourself,

"'you are doing well.

"'But if you show partiality,

You are committing sin "'and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

"'For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point "'has become guilty of all of it.

' And there were over 600 laws.

I've mentioned before that James didn't teach about how to walk in who we are as a new creation.

Those verses explain what life was like under the law that needed to be obeyed in the flesh using willpower.

The law exposed the flesh and showed the need for a savior.

So let's review two people from the Bible as an example.

Think about the story of Zacchaeus.

You can read it in Luke chapter 19 verses one through 10.

I'll read verses one through eight now.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus.

He was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

He wanted to see who Jesus was,

But because he was short,

He could not see over the crowd.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot,

He looked up and said to him,

"'Zacchaeus,

Come down immediately.

I must stay at your house today.

' So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter,

He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,

"'Look,

Lord,

Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I have cheated anybody out of anything,

I will pay back four times the amount.

' Jesus called to Zacchaeus and simply told him that he had to stay at his house that day.

He didn't tell Zacchaeus to pay back what he had stolen,

Yet Zacchaeus did it anyway.

Why?

Because his heart had been changed.

Contrast that with the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life.

You can read about him in Mark chapter 10,

Verses 17 through 22.

I'll read it now.

As Jesus started on his way,

A man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.

"'Good teacher,

' he asked,

"'what must I do to inherit eternal life?

' "'Why do you call me good?

' Jesus answered.

"'No one is good except God alone.

"'You know the commandments.

"'You shall not murder.

"'You shall not commit adultery.

"'You shall not steal.

"'You shall not give false testimony.

"'You shall not defraud.

"'Honor your father and mother.

"'Teacher,

' he declared,

"'all these I have kept since I was a boy.

' Jesus looked at him and loved him.

"'One thing you lack,

' he said,

"'go sell everything you have and give to the poor "'and you will have treasure in heaven.

"'Then come,

Follow me.

' At this,

The man's face fell.

He went away sad because he had great wealth.

He wanted to know what he could do.

When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow him,

He couldn't do it.

He was okay with putting on a performance by obeying the laws,

But he refused to sell everything he had to give to the poor.

One never asked what he needed to do,

But after his experience with Christ,

He obeyed from his heart.

The other tried to obey from performance.

If your obedience alone could save you,

You wouldn't need Jesus.

So we obey not to earn,

But to express gratitude for what's already been given.

Many times we'll hear the scripture that says,

"'Faith without works is dead,

' and think that it's about doing what churches or the world has told us our work should be instead of being led by God's word and the Holy Spirit.

Let's look at the verses before and after that.

James 2,

14 through 24 says,

"'What good is it,

My brothers,

If someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

And one of you says to them,

"'Go in peace,

Be warmed and filled,

' without giving them the things needed for the body,

What good is that?

So also faith by itself,

If it does not have works is dead.

But someone will say,

"'You have faith and I have works.

Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works.

You believe that God is one,

You do well.

Even the demons believe and shudder.

Do you want to be shown,

You foolish person,

That faith apart from works is useless?

' Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

You see that faith was active along with his works and faith was completed by his works.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says,

"'Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of God.

' You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Abraham was willing to obey God by sacrificing his son Isaac.

That's obedience rooted in faith.

And you can read this in Genesis chapter 22.

Isaac was the son that Abraham and Sarah had well beyond their childbearing years,

The son that God promised to them.

Yet Abraham was still willing to make the sacrifice in the natural that made no sense,

But Abraham trusted God's plan.

In Genesis 22 five,

Abraham even said to the two men who were traveling with them,

"'Stay here with the donkey.

I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.

' He didn't know how it was going to work out,

But he trusted in God's plan and promised that his son Isaac would be his heir.

Our obedience now flows from the heart,

The by-product of faith,

Not the pressure of performance.

We have the obedience of Christ as a new creation.

We need to choose to walk in it by putting on the nature of Christ.

Performance-based obedience is not in faith.

You're performing to try and get something.

Faith says,

"'Father,

I thank you for what Jesus has done and I'm receiving what you've given to me as a gift.

As I mentioned,

Your obedience is a by-product of your faith.

" Hebrews 11 six tells us,

"'And without faith,

It is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

'" You're ceasing from your own works and letting God work through you.

Ephesians 2 10 says,

"'For we are his workmanship,

Created in Christ Jesus for good works,

Which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Your obedience is a result of God's workmanship.

His workmanship is that you believe in what he promised.

'" At its core,

True obedience grows out of belief.

Our actions will always follow what we truly believe.

And when we believe rightly that God is good,

Faithful,

And trustworthy,

Obedience naturally follows.

Disobedience at its root is really unbelief in disguise.

The branch doesn't have to strain to produce fruit.

It simply stays connected to the vine.

In the same way,

When we stay connected to God,

Obedience flows naturally because of that connection.

The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us navigate this life.

The power we have doesn't come from our performance or how perfectly we obey.

It comes from the Holy Spirit living within us.

When you received the Holy Spirit,

You received everything you need.

Our physical acts of obedience are simply the byproduct of an inward obedience,

The obedience of believing what God's word says.

We want to obey from our spirit,

Not from our flesh that wants to operate according to the world.

You may not be walking perfectly in everything you believe yet,

But if your heart believes God's truth,

You're already walking in obedience.

Unfortunately,

Some people are made to feel condemned when obedience is presented as something they must do in order to earn God's blessings.

But we are under grace now.

Obedience is still important,

But not as a way to earn anything.

It's a response of love and trust toward our Father.

And many people live in fear,

Thinking that if they don't obey perfectly,

God will punish them,

Or that when something bad happens,

It must be because they failed.

That is not how our Father operates.

Religion often uses fear and guilt to control people,

Keeping them trapped in condemnation.

Then they try to silence that condemnation with good works,

Which can easily lead to self-righteousness.

God's way is different.

We live by faith,

Mixing our faith with the promises of God.

We are not trying to earn blessings.

We've already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Under the old covenant,

People had to work for favor and plead for mercy.

Under the new covenant,

We rest in what Jesus has already accomplished.

Romans 14,

23 says,

Whatever is not of faith is sin.

In other words,

Anything we do apart from faith,

Apart from genuine belief in God,

Isn't true obedience.

Faith says,

Father,

I thank you for what Jesus has already done.

I receive what you've given as a gift.

Performance says,

If I do this right,

Maybe God will bless me.

Faith rests,

Performance strives.

Let's talk about what holds us back.

Some of the biggest obstacles to obedience are fear,

Ego,

And a controlling spirit.

And all of those are rooted in fear.

There may be fear of failure or rejection,

Maybe even a fear of success and how it would change your life,

Fear of losing control,

Fear of what others may think.

Sometimes our carnal minded reasoning confuses God's voice,

But God is not the author of confusion.

Obedience requires surrendering ego,

Pride,

And the need to control outcomes.

Second Timothy 1,

7 reminds us,

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,

But of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Everything in our lives comes from either God or the devil.

If God didn't give us a spirit of fear,

When we feel fear,

We should immediately recognize that it came from the devil.

We can rebuke that spirit of fear and command it to leave.

Obedience requires surrender and surrender is not a one-time event.

It's a daily process,

Sometimes multiple times a day,

Because the world is constantly pulling us back towards self-reliance and control.

Proverbs 3,

5,

And 6 says,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.

Every act of obedience is a declaration of trust and every act of disobedience says,

I think my way is better.

Grace empowers obedience.

It does not negate responsibility.

When God speaks,

We can trust him enough to step out,

Even if we don't have all the details yet.

So where do we start?

Maybe you're thinking,

Okay,

I want to obey God,

But where do I begin and what does this look like in action?

Everything we do flows from our subconscious mind.

We have to remember that we are three-part beings,

Spirit,

Soul,

And body.

The world influences and programs us through what we experience in our body and soul,

What we see,

Hear,

Feel,

And learn.

Over time,

Those experiences shape our subconscious,

Creating patterns and beliefs that guide how we live.

But when we come to Christ and receive the Holy Spirit,

Something shifts.

The Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to navigate life as a kingdom citizen.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to guide and renew our minds,

To replace the world's programming with God's truth,

So that our thoughts,

Actions,

And decisions begin to reflect God's will instead of the world's ways.

As our minds are renewed to the word and the ways of God,

Our subconscious mind begins to bring forth behaviors that are aligned with the nature of Christ.

So here are a few ways to begin.

Start with an open heart that is ready to be led by the Holy Spirit.

When you sense God speaking through his word,

Through peace,

Or through a nudge,

Keep it pure.

Don't add to or take away from it.

And then just do it.

Take a step and trust God.

As you take one step,

God will reveal the next one.

We have to stop making excuses.

Instead of ignoring the nudge,

Say to yourself,

If God called me,

He'll equip me.

Then stay kingdom-focused.

Remember who you represent.

We are kingdom citizens,

And that means we have rights and responsibilities.

God created us for a purpose,

And we have work to do.

Walking in obedience is the path to experiencing kingdom life here on earth.

God knows everything we have to contend with in this world.

The Holy Spirit helps us to navigate it so that we can experience the best version of on earth as it is in heaven.

Because of Christ,

We are made righteous,

And we want to experience the fruit of that righteousness while we are here on earth right now.

Let me share some real-life examples that showed me how powerful obedience can be.

I'll share how God used me to be there for someone who reached out to me,

How he used me to speak something specific to someone that I had to reach out to,

The obedience of a stranger that was a blessing to me,

And then something that seems small and insignificant,

But really wasn't.

A while back,

I received a message on Facebook from someone I barely knew.

This was a man I was only connected to because of my parents.

We had met almost 20 years ago,

But I had never had a conversation with him.

Out of the blue,

He sent a message asking me how I was doing.

I told him that everything was well and asked how he was.

He mentioned having some problems with his knee,

So I replied,

I understand,

Could be worse,

And he laughed and agreed.

Then about five months later,

He reached out again.

This time,

He simply said hello.

I replied and asked how he was doing.

He said,

Not bad,

And then added,

I was wondering if I could bug you for a minute.

Now,

If you're anything like me,

You know that little feeling of dread that hits in moments like that.

I didn't know him.

I had no idea what he wanted to talk about or what I would even say,

But then I felt that gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit,

That quiet reminder to be open.

So I said,

Would you like to give me a call?

He said yes,

And then mentioned that his brother had bone cancer and wasn't doing well.

He called and we talked for about 30 minutes.

He shared more about his brother's condition.

We reminisced a little about my parents,

And then we talked about his daughter and his walk with God.

It was really a genuine and heartfelt conversation.

When we hung up,

I remember thinking that it was kind of odd that he would reach out to me of all people,

But I didn't think much more about it.

About a month later,

I received a message from his daughter letting me know that he had passed away.

She told me that he mentioned our conversation to her.

I may never know exactly why God prompted that exchange,

But I'm so thankful I obeyed the nudge.

I don't remember every detail of what we talked about,

But I do know this,

God used that moment for something meaningful,

And I'm grateful I said yes when he asked me to take that call.

There was another time when God gave me a specific message to share with someone I only knew professionally,

But not on a personal level,

And this was one of those moments when I really didn't want to be obedient.

What God was asking me to do pushed me way outside of my comfort zone.

I even said,

God,

Why me?

She has friends,

Why can't one of them do it?

But God made it clear that the message needed to come from me.

When I saw her that day,

I shared what God put on my heart,

And she simply said,

I receive that.

And then she told me she had been going through a really tough season,

Like months of challenges that had her wondering how much more she could take.

In that moment,

I understood why God wanted the message to come from me.

I wasn't a part of her close circle.

I didn't know what she was going through,

And that is exactly why it mattered,

Because God wanted her to know that he saw her and that he could speak through someone who had no idea what she was facing.

That moment impacted me as much as it did her,

And it reminded me that obedience isn't always comfortable,

But it's always purposeful.

There was another moment that really reminded me how personally God meets us.

After one of my Pilates sessions,

My instructor noticed that I seemed a little off.

I told her that I hadn't been hearing much from God lately,

And that I didn't have clarity in a few areas of my life.

I said that I understood it just as a sign to keep doing what he's already told me to do until he speaks again.

But deep down,

I wanted more than that.

I wanted some kind of confirmation that God is pleased with me and that I can trust him to do what he's promised.

After I left,

I stopped at the grocery store.

When I was checking out,

I noticed blueberries rolling across the floor.

They belonged to another customer who was in a different checkout line.

And so I paused to keep from stepping on them,

And that delayed me for a few seconds.

And that small delay meant that the woman from the other checkout line walked out of the store right behind me.

So as I was walking to my car,

She called out and said to me that I smelled good.

I thanked her and I started to walk away,

But then she started speaking again.

She said to me,

God wants you to know that he sees you,

He's with you,

Even if you don't feel it right now,

He is pleased with you and he is working things out.

She said a few other things,

But it was like time stood still.

Those words,

God sees you,

He's with you,

He's pleased with you and he's working things out were the only ones I could hold on to.

It felt like that was all I was meant to remember.

Just a short time,

Literally minutes after I had been talking about not hearing from God,

He used a complete stranger to tell me what I had been longing to hear.

I was so thankful for her obedience to the Holy Spirit's nudge to share that message with me.

When I got to my car,

I tried to recall the rest of what she said,

But I couldn't.

And I understood why.

Some moments are meant to be written down,

Times when God gives specific instructions or insights,

But other moments are meant to be felt,

Simple,

Sweet reminders of God's love and presence that you're just supposed to experience in the moment.

No notes,

No recording,

Just gratitude.

On another occasion,

I had a Pilates class scheduled for 1230,

But that morning I felt this gentle nudge telling me to get ready earlier.

A short time later,

I received a text from my instructor asking if I could come at 1130 instead.

It worked out perfectly because I was already prepared.

Had I ignored that nudge,

I would have been rushing to get ready,

Which I can't stand,

Or I would have had to stick with the later time,

Even though 1130 was what I preferred all along.

We've all had moments like that,

Where we ignore what we call our gut instinct or our first mind and later realized it was right.

But here's the thing,

This goes deeper than instinct.

Those quick,

Quiet impressions that seem fleeting aren't always your own thoughts.

Sometimes they're the Holy Spirit guiding you,

Steering you toward peace,

Protection,

Purpose,

Or just a little something to make your day brighter and show you that God cares about every single detail of your life.

And yes,

Sometimes you'll miss it or make mistakes,

And that's okay.

This is not about striving for perfection.

You don't need to get into a super spiritual or overly religious mode.

It's about awareness,

Remembering that the Holy Spirit is your constant helper and guide who wants to help you experience life here on earth as it is in heaven.

So stay open,

Stay aware,

And don't ignore those little nudges because you never know how God may be using them.

Obedience doesn't just stop at moments,

It becomes a way of life.

In the kingdom,

Obedience is not about rules.

It's about alignment with the Holy Spirit.

Remember,

The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide who leads us to all truth.

The Holy Spirit can help us navigate every single aspect of our life,

Big and small,

If we allow it.

John 14,

15 says,

"'If you love me,

You will keep my commandments.

' Love is the fuel,

Obedience is the evidence.

When we live in daily obedience,

We walk in kingdom order,

And where there's order,

There's peace,

Provision,

And power.

Obedience will often push us outside of what's comfortable,

But that's where God's impact is the greatest.

Obedience is not about comfort,

It's about willingness.

The more you trust God,

You'll get to a point where you'll ignore the discomfort and take a step anyway.

You may not see the full fruit of your obedience in every situation,

But God always does.

Obedience may also look foolish to others,

But it's kingdom work.

" And let's take this one step deeper.

Grace does not remove obedience,

It empowers it.

Many times people excuse themselves from doing what God is guiding them to do,

And they say things like,

"'God knows my heart.

' Yes,

God does know your heart,

But he also knows whether that heart is led by love,

Ignorance,

Or rebellion.

Grace says,

You already belong.

Obedience says,

I want to honor who I belong to.

We have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

We're not obeying to be blessed,

We're obeying because we are blessed.

When we truly believe in God's goodness,

Obedience becomes joy.

It's an overflow of thankfulness,

Not the pressure of performance.

Doing good deeds and being what the world would call a good person doesn't mean we're walking in obedience according to God's will.

Sometimes God says,

Do this,

And we go and do something else we're more comfortable with.

True obedience flows from relationship,

Not religion,

And not according to any carnal reasoning or response that keeps us comfortable.

I'll share a couple of examples.

One time I was having lunch with a friend at a restaurant.

Outside,

There were a few picnic style tables with benches,

And on one of them was a homeless man lying down.

We started wondering about his story,

And I said to her,

He's homeless by choice.

He probably has a wealthy family,

But he doesn't fit in with them.

As we were leaving,

My friend said she felt led to give him money.

I told her I did too,

But that wasn't true.

For no reason,

I lied.

We went over,

Gave him the money,

And I asked if he'd share a little bit about his life.

He said exactly what I had guessed,

That he was homeless by choice,

That his family was wealthy,

But he didn't want to live their kind of life.

The next morning,

I woke up with this quiet nudge in my spirit,

A sense that I wasn't actually supposed to give him money.

Then I was reminded of how quickly I had lied just to match what my friend had said.

I didn't feel guilty or condemned because I know there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

I was actually really thankful for the correction.

The Holy Spirit showed me what I needed to learn through that moment.

There was no harm done in giving money to someone in need,

But that good deed came from my flesh,

Not from the Holy Spirit's leading.

And even though it seemed right,

It wasn't obedience,

It was performance.

That experience reminded me of how quickly we can drift out of alignment with the Holy Spirit and right back into the world's way of doing things,

Where good intentions can easily replace God's direction.

Another example is a friend who was led by the Holy Spirit to volunteer at a place in her community.

She served there faithfully for a couple of years,

But then she started to feel a gentle nudge that it was time to move on.

She ignored it and she stayed longer than she was meant to.

Again,

In this situation,

There was no harm done and there's certainly no condemnation in that.

But here's what many of us don't realize.

When we cling to an old assignment that's already expired or focus on doing the good deeds that we've chosen to do,

We can delay or even miss out on what God wants to do next in our lives.

Sometimes we'll hold onto something that was spirit-led,

But because we won't let go when God says it's time,

We end up moving with the world instead of with God.

Many times we won't take a step because God hasn't revealed the entire plan,

So we get fearful.

Sometimes you won't know what's coming next until you take the first step that God told you to take.

Obedience isn't just about big life decisions,

It's in the small,

Everyday moments as well.

We must get to a point where we respond to the Holy Spirit even when it feels inconvenient or it doesn't make sense and we have to let go of the need to control outcomes and simply trust God.

Because obedience is not an event,

It is a lifestyle.

It is choosing to stay awake to God's presence.

And you know how people say stay woke?

Walking with God requires a different kind of awakening,

A spiritual awareness that keeps us sensitive to His voice.

Obedience is about willingness,

Not comfort.

Not every act of obedience will feel profound.

Some moments will be quiet,

Unseen,

Yet deeply significant in God's kingdom.

The more we hold onto what is normal and comfortable in the world,

The more we forfeit what is possible with God.

I wanna leave you with some questions to reflect on.

Where might fear be holding you back from obeying what God has already told you to do?

Where have you reduced obedience to just a checklist of good deeds instead of a real relationship with God?

What belief about God needs to change so that obedience feels like freedom and not pressure?

And then finally,

Where have you used God knows my heart as a shield for disobedience?

I've learned that obedience sometimes comes with a mix of excitement and fear.

I'm learning to shut down the fear since I know it's not from God.

Trust that every time you say yes to God,

You will see Him open doors and work things out that you could have never done on your own.

Saying yes and taking the step in obedience opens the door for the next step to be revealed,

And then the next one,

And so on.

People talk so much about walking in victory,

But not in obedience.

Victory is a byproduct of obedience.

Obedience flows from relationship,

Not religion.

So when God calls you to obey,

Believe that He has already provided everything you need to do it.

So today,

I want to encourage you.

Say yes to what God has been nudging you about.

Then watch how He opens doors that you never knew existed.

It is time to move beyond comfort-based Christianity and become a true follower of Christ.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Wilderness to Wisdom.

Until next time,

Keep walking in wisdom and keep walking in faith.