~By: Krista Steuber~
The words “obedience” and “surrender” often have negative connotations in our society. In a world where independence and “my way” and “my choice” are celebrated, they are often shunned as four-letter words. But, this is just another one of Satan’s many deceptions.
God’s Kingdom is not the way of this world, and I have learned that surrendering to Jesus and being in obedience to Him is the safest place for me to be. In her book Adamant, Lisa Bevere states, “When we surrender to all that He is (Lord), our lives are enlarged by His domain. In Him, we do not become less ourselves; rather, we are freed to become more of who He created us to be.” Our identity is found in Christ, not in anything else in this world, and when we surrender to that, we flourish to become who we are in Him! I have experienced the truth of this firsthand.
Since I have become a Christ-follower with Jesus as Lord of my life, I have been obedient to what He has called me to do. Let me just start by saying that it’s not an easy thing to do, and it’s a continual process of learning and maturing. There were things He called me to do that were way out of my comfort zone, and there were times when I just didn’t feel like doing them; I was tired or I just wanted to stay home. But, being a follower of Jesus means laying down your own selfish will. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s putting others before yourself.
There were also things that I didn’t feel qualified to do, and I thought, ‘I’m not good at that; I could never do that!’ But, I was willing to take that step out in faith and follow Jesus where He led me. There is a fairly well known phrase, “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” Satan will try to tell you otherwise. He’ll fill your head with lies like, ‘you can’t do it; you’re not good enough; you don’t have enough skill or talent.’ Do not allow him to do that. God will equip you with everything you need to do His work. Jesus tells us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). God fills us and anoints us with His Holy Spirit when we obey Him (Acts 5:32).
So, I do what God wants me to do whether or not I'm comfortable, think I'm qualified, or “feel” like it. And, my friend, what an amazing and beautiful thing it always is when I follow His leading!
When I do His work in obedience and allow Him to use me as a vessel, I can feel Him right there guiding me - guiding my words and actions. Even though God has stretched me many times out of my comfort zone, I always felt safe. He was right there with me, and He would not let me fall. Because I felt uncomfortable, I was able to lean on Him and His strength and leading. It was supposed to be that way. I leaned heavily on His Holy Spirit.
My obedience has always blossomed into something beautiful. I can look back and see how God has been weaving His powerful tapestry. He has connected me to so many amazing women of God and has been bringing us together to help reach others and grow His Kingdom. My obedience has led to God giving me more opportunities. Ephesians 5:16-17 tells us to make the most of every opportunity that God gives to us and to understand what His will is. If God gives me an opportunity, I take it. When I am obedient to doing His will, He gives me more Kingdom work to do. It’s like a ripple effect that just keeps on going. I am so grateful that He calls me His daughter, and I am always in awe of what He does in me and through me.
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