obedience

The past couple of weeks, R has really struggled with simply obeying me.  We talk about it, and we talk about it and we talk about it.  But it's one of those things I feel like we have to talk about it so often, that he just listens to me do my talking and doesn't really take it all in.  He knows what he is supposed to do, but as a 5 year old full of life, it is just SO much easier for him to do what he wants to do!  Isn't that true for all of us?!

One night laying in bed, I just wanted to cry thinking about the lack of Ryder wanting to simply obey me.  It wasn't even over anything big, nothing life changing.  Just simple things like "brush your teeth", "put on your shoes", "close the pantry door"..."get in bed."  He can do all these things, but instead of doing them when I ask him to...he is doing them when he feels like doing them!  So frustrating and aggravating as a parent! 

He is always telling me, "Mom...I love you."  This makes my heart so happy and it is probably something that I take for granted more than I should.  I tell him all the time that I hope he never stops telling me that and I pray that he always feels that way towards me, even when I do something that doesn't particularly make him "happy".  

On this particular night, he had told me he loved me right after disobeying me (not doing what I had asked him to do, when I asked him to do it).  Before I even realized what I was saying, I said, "Ryder, I know that you love me, but a one way to actually show me you love me is by obeying me."  

Ummm...wow, Kati.  Where did that come from?  & can't you relate?  how is that any different than obeying our Lord to show Him that we love Him?  It's not!  It's the exact same thing!

The way my heart aches when Ryder chooses not to obey me, is the same kind of heartache that God has for us when we make the choice not to obey Him.

Being a parent can give you a whole new perspective on the love our Father has for us, and this is just one of those many ways.  

While I'm struggling to parent Ryder, I am at the same time learning how to love my Father.  

Obeying Him is loving Him.

When we obey God, we are showing our love for Him.  Obeying Him and loving Him are tired together.  

Our obedience to Him is also built on what He wants to give and bless us with.  He wants to bless us, but He always wants us to obey Him.

Just like when Jesus told Simon Peter to "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."  Simon Peter had been fishing all night and hadn't caught a thing, BUT he obeyed the Lord and let down his nets...in obedience of the Lord. 

Then what did Jesus bless Simon with?  Nets so full of fish that his nets were breaking!

This is just one of many examples of how He wants to bless us, when we obey Him!    

I am so encouraged by this message, and I hope you can be too!  

When we choose to obey Him, we become more intimate with Christ and are drawn nearer to Him!  So much goodness!