Obedience Leads to Life

As a controller, one who wants to decide when and what and how something is going to be done, the hardest thing for me to do was let go and let God take charge of my life. I was certain if I did not make things happen, then my life would be a mess. That was my premise, absolute control by me for me.

Wow, just how selfish does that sound? Regardless, that was my state until the Lord allowed me to bring myself to my knees and subsequent surrender to His will on March 3rd, 2001. My personal life was in chaos because of my selfishness.

After my surrender, the Lord moved quickly to fix several of the big messes I made. Restoration of my marriage and relationship with my children was the first. There were other areas I would have to work through that were very painful. There are consequences for sin. The pain of those consequences, for me and others, is a reminder of what self rule did in my life and why I would never want to go back to my old ways.

Today I live a life I could not have imagined 12 years ago. It is richly filled with a wonderful family, friends and a successful business. His ways are so much better than anything I could ever do. All because I said yes to Him.

Surrender to the Lord’s ways does not mean failure as man has defined, it brings freedom and a fullness to life we could only begin to imagine. Don’t wait until you are in a crisis to start following the Lord. Be an early adopter and start living the life He has planned for you now.

Blessings

Obedience Leads to Life
TGIF Today God Is First NextGen
by Charis Hillman Brown

“They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life.” -Ezekiel 20:11 NLT

A lot of the time we wonder how following God will turn out. We wonder why we should live by Christian principles, or why God told Adam and Eve not to eat the apple. “Why not?” we wonder. “What’s so bad about ‘A’ or ‘B’? we might ask.

Additionally, sometimes God asks us to step out and do some scary things. We might fear the outcome of following God’s leading. What will people think? What will happen? He does not call us to be foolish – but sometimes He calls us to step outside our comfort zone so that more of His kingdom might be present on earth. He calls us to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7.)

Once I was in prayer with a group of intercessors when I was 19 years old. One of them said, “You’re going to go to a school to learn about God.” I thought I was already learning so much about God, but I decided to try and follow God’s leading. So I began to look for schools to learn more about God.

As I searched online, I found a school that taught worship leading, and I was really interested in that! After attending the part-time program, I went full-time for two more years. As a result, I experienced much growth, joy, fulfillment, new relationships and most of all new life as a part of following God’s leading.

We don’t need to be afraid of what God calls us to do. His way always leads to more life, and we will grow as a result of following Him.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” -John 10:10