Living an Obedience-Based Life

Satan wants nothing more than to gain a foothold in your walk. If he can get you to compromise on any aspect of your life, he wins. When those around you see you are unwilling to stand fast in your beliefs when the going gets tough, it significantly impacts your witness. Instead of being set apart, they see you as no different than anyone else.

We had a website customer come to us a few years back that was starting a clothing line. He wanted things done a certain way with his site. I explained we did not have the skill set to give him what he wanted. He said he understood and decided to change some of his requests. As we got ready to make his site live, in came the pictures of the clothing on models who were inappropriately dressed. No, they were not naked, but the pictures did not leave much to the imagination. I explained we could not use these because of our commitment to keep all of our websites family oriented.

Long story short, we ended up refunding nearly all of the money they had paid. It happened in a time when the budget was much tighter than it is today. It was not an easy thing, but we did it because of the principles the Lord laid out for us when we started the business many years ago. Looking back it was only a small bump in the night even though it seemed fairly significant at the time.

Through my walk I have found the Lord is not concerned with my comfort, but with my character. He will ask us to make decisions based on His teachings. When the times comes, what will your answer be when it’s time to stand your ground?

Blessings

Living an Obedience-Based Life
by Os Hillman

“They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” – Daniel 3:28b

Have you ever known someone who lived an outcome-based Christian experience? This means that their decisions are made based on the positive or negative outcome, not on absolute obedience.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three men who lived an obedience-based life. When King Nebuchadnezzar passed a law that said all were to worship his idol, these young men determined they would not worship anything other than God. You can be sure these men did not make this decision at the time of the decree. Their decision actually had been made years earlier. Their convictions were already in their hearts.

Each of us must come to a place of knowing what our boundaries are in given situations. What will you tolerate from your employer? What situation crosses the line for you? Where are the boundaries for questionable practices in your life? If these are not worked out ahead, you will live a life of situational ethics, determining what decision to make based on the merits of the situation.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die for what they believed. In this case, they were delivered from the fiery furnace. God used their faithfulness to impact a king, and they were promoted to higher positions.

Are you an obedienced-based Christian? Or are there situations that can move you based on the outcome? God wants to know that we will stand firm on the issues that are important to Him, no matter what the outcome may be. God is looking for those who are radical in their obedience. Does this describe your commitment to Christ? If not, pray for this kind of conviction. The Lord will honor you for this.