What's Obedience?

Obedience is a word you don’t hear very often anymore.  Why is that do you think?  Well, obedience is viewed as a lack of choice; we have to do something someone told us to do.  We lack a choice when we are told to do something and are expected to obey.   In our culture, we like nothing more than to have our own choices.

I was helping my friend put her kids in the van one day and she told her 5 year old daughter to get in and buckle up.  Her daughter continued to wander around the outside of the van.  My friend asked her, “did you hear me?”  I chuckled and said, “I’m sure she heard you, she just didn’t obey.”  My friend looked at me and said I had a good point; she’d never thought of it that way before. 

Ever get stopped by the police?  They don’t want you to just hear them talking, they want you to obey them.  If they ask for your license, you have to give it to them.  If they tell you to get out of the car, you have to get out of the car.  In other words, you must be obedient to that officer.

We do not like to be obedient.  We don’t want to think that we are “submitting” to someone else, because that would make us weak.  No one is better than us, why should we do what they tell us?  

Our society is turning further and further away from God.  Things that 40 years ago were only whispered about are now topics of popular, prime time television shows, subjects to be taught to young school aged children and topics discussed openly in public no matter who can overhear.   God is becoming a taboo subject.  In fact, more and more, Christians, and especially devout Catholics, are being labeled bigots and intolerant.  

We don’t like obedience, unless we are being obedient to ourselves.   We certainly don’t want to be obedient to a God who tells us what we can and cannot do because that means we’ll never have any fun.  We need to remember that in order to obey God, we must disobey ourselves.  What?!?  Not do whatever I want whenever I want to do it?  

God tells us in the bible how we should live our lives and He does that so we can live for eternity in heaven with Him.  He created each one of us, individually.  He loves each and every one of us, He values us.  We all have our faults, we all sin, we all make bad choices, but God doesn’t strike us down.  He gave us free will so we could choose how to live.  That also means we can choose Him or reject Him.  There will always be plenty of both kinds of people, those that choose to follow Him and be obedient (although not perfectly) and those who choose to deny Him: disobey Him.

The Christian life is not easy by any means.  We must make sacrifices; not the least of which is trying to follow God’s will, not our own.  In other words, obeying God and disobeying ourselves.  I know that’s a foreign idea to many and seems utterly ridiculous, but God alone leads us to true life.  Being obedient to God and following His holy will for us is true freedom.  

Each day, turn your will over to our Lord.  Ask Him to help you follow Him, to strengthen you.  Ask Him to grant you the grace to desire obedience, not to yourself, but to Him.  

“The natural life knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.”   C.S. Lewis

Suggestions

A friend, who told me I shouldn't post a reflection everyday on my blog, has pointed out to me that I haven't posted anything in over a week.  Make up your mind already! :-)  haha   If you must know why it's because spiritually, I had kind of a tough week last week - things are better now. 

Sometimes things strike me, something in a homily, something someone has said to me or something I've seen.  I usually meditate (almost said medicate - there's a big difference you know!) and see where the Holy Spirit takes me with those things.  I love listening to what our Lord says, even when the message isn't necessarily for me.

Is there any topic you'd like to see here?  Something you "heard" God talk to you about that you would like expanded on?  I certainly can't guarantee the Holy Spirit will speak to me on that subject, but our God works in mysterious ways - so suggestions are always welcome.

I'm sure I'll have a "real" reflection on here soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these beautiful quotes from our big brothers and sisters.

Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender. -- St. Therese of Lisieux

Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly. Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession. --St. Isidore of Seville

The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessings. -- Blessed Alan de la Roche

We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials. -- St. Teresa of Avila

I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.- Saint Dominic Savio