Obedience to God is tied with one’s relationship with Him. Our spirit and our morals come into play and our will takes a huge play in it.
Objective:
What is obedience?
According to Oxford Languages, obedience is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority. The english word “obedience” originates from the latin word “oboedio”. The combinations of the words “Ob” (meaning before or near), and “audire” (meaning to hear) highlight the importance of hearing before acting
In the Bible, obedience is referred to as Shama (שְׁמַע) in the Old Testament (to hear, listen, give attention, submit to) and Hupakoe (שְׁמַע) (listen attentively; submitting to what is heard). Shema emphasizes not just listening with the ears but responding in obedience by hearing God’s voice and loving Him with our whole being. Hupakoe involves hearing God's voice and actively submitting to it in obedience. Both terms emphasize that obedience is the desired response to hearing God's Word. Therefore, it's not just about passive listening but active, intentional submission to His commands.
With these definitions in mind, it is important to value the importance of attentively listening to God in order to obey Him and follow His will.
Isaiah 55:3 (NIV) “Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”
John 10:27 (NIV) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
James 1:22 (NIV) "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
Why obey?
Obedience leads us to God’s path. His path leads us to love, freedom, blessings, spiritual growth and more. Obedience aligns with his purpose, a purpose we can only find through Him. John 8:32–“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”. When we follow His commands, we are set free. Being set free doesn’t mean we will stop facing hard challenges instantly, being a christian is actually the opposite. It means we’re on the path to righteousness and that is God. The closer we get to the Creator in terms of obedience, the more likely we are to make it in His kingdom.
True freedom isn’t doing whatever we want—it's walking in God's will and avoiding the chains of sin, confusion, and regret. Obedience protects you from deception, destruction and separation from God. Romans 6:16 (ESV) “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey… either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”. The fruit of salvation is shown through righteousness. We grow in righteousness through the Holy Spirit’s work in us, making our actions, words, and thoughts more like Christ’s.
Listening to God
There’s a variety of ways we can listen to God, such as reading our Bibles, prayer and fellowship.
The Bible contains commands, guidance, wisdom, and promises that leads us to a better understanding of God’s will. The word of God is a direct answer to our questions and a direct instruction of what we are meant to obey. 2 Timothy 3:16 — "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness...". As a christian, it is mandatory to not only read scripture, but study it and apply it. Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path". Without God’s word, we can’t find our way towards Him. Finding God’s path is essential as He is the path we must follow.
Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. When praying, we talk to Him, but we also have to listen to His responses. Asking God for guidance will light our paths sooner or later as t leads us to wisdom James 1:5 — "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God...". Sometimes the response is immediate, other times it takes patience and discernment. It’s not for you to choose the pace of the answer but it is God’s decision. He is all knowing, meaning only He knows how things are meant to be and when. As humans, we may try to force things to happen, but only God can set place to the best option for us. Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
The Holy Spirit prompts believers, giving them insight, conviction, and direction. John 14:26 — "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.". The Holy Spirit lives in us. It brings new birth, convicts us of sin, empowers us, transforms us and also guides us. The holy spirit softens our hearts to welcome the gospel and makes us sensitive to righteousness. We should therefore rely on It to guide us by developing discernment and
Cultivating a sensitive heart through obedience, prayer, and fellowship with other believers helps attune the heart to the Holy Spirit's prompting. God speaks through the church and Christian community. Listening to the counsel of others—especially those more spiritually mature—can help one discern God’s will. Proverbs 11:14 — "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers." Proverbs 15:22 states, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
Reflect a bit: when do you feel His presence? Are there moments during which you feel you don’t feel it? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
Following God’s commands out of love, not obligation.
We obey not to earn God's love, but because we already have it. Obedience is a natural response when you know how deeply you're loved by God. John 14:15, states, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.". This verse highlights the connection between love for Jesus and obedience to his teachings. We have to strive to be more Christ like out of love for Him, not because we obey Him. All our actions should be done in His love. If we let His love take over us, everything we do will be in Him and His glory.
Reflect a bit: do you ever catch yourself avoiding or ignoring his commands? Which ones and why?
Trusting God’s authority and aligning your actions with His word.
Believing in His authority means believing He knows more and knows what’s better. He knows what actions will lead us to Him or not. Our goal should always be to strive towards Him. Proverbs 3:5–6—“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”. To trust God’s authority means letting go of control and believing that His way is better, even when we don’t understand it. God sees the whole picture—every detail of our past, present, and future. He knows what's best not just for now, but for eternity. As humans, we don’t have authority over ourselves as we don’t have His thoughts or His ways. God’s authority and knowledge is something we can’t practice ourselves, therefore we submit to it. Isaiah 55:8–9 – “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Reflect a bit: what do you want in life? How would you feel if God never granted you that?
Jesus preached and practiced obedience
Obedience to God was central to Jesus' life, mission, and teachings. He obeyed to the Father’s will Luke 22:42—“Not my will, but yours be done.”. His obedience brought salvation to the world. Through Him, we learn that obedience is an act of love, not just duty. Hebrews 5:8—"Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered". Jesus’ suffering ultimately led Him to understand and fulfill God’s will through His human experience of suffering. Him actively choosing to obey God’s will lead Him to become the perfect high priest. Jesus’ obedience was a representation of His relationship with the Father. It shows us that true obedience flows from relationships, and not only from religion.
Reflect a bit: when you disobey God, what do you do after?
Obedience Positions You for Blessing
God’s commands are meant for our good . Like a good parent, He sets boundaries to bless and protect us, not to restrict joy. Deuteronomy 10:13–“ and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”. It is important to separate ourselves from things of the world. Things might seem unfair at the moment, but all rules we are meant to follow are protection from evil or from things that were not meant for us. We don’t always notice what is harmful for us as we don’t know the whole truth of the present and the future. However, we are guaranteed greatness through the Lord. Only through Him can we get the best for us. Through obedience, we follow the path the Lord has for us. This path might be hard, it might be slow and it might be confusing, but it will always be what’s best for us. We won’t always know why it is made that way, but we must trust it’s the best way.
Reflect a bit: what things have you wanted failed or not been done? Where did this failure bring you?
Obedience Builds Spiritual Maturity
Building spiritual maturity is about growing from simply believing in God to living in deep, consistent alignment with Him. It’s the process of becoming more like Christ—in your thoughts, your actions, and your heart posture.Hebrews 5:14–“Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”. The same way babies grow into adults, Christian’s grow through their journey with Christ. Being spiritually mature won’t make you a perfect Christian, but it can make many challenges easier. It will strengthen your faith as your heart will be fulfilled by Him. Spiritual maturity is a reflection of your faith, knowledge and heart posture. To develop it, we must learn from God.
Reflect a bit: how much have you grown into your faith and how much more do you want to grow?
Word of closure
Many of us grow up hearing, “Obey or else.” But in God’s kingdom, obedience flows not from fear, but from a relationship of trust and intimacy. Obedience is one of those things that is easier to say than to do, but if we strive to be perfect in His image, we must apply it. When God calls us to obey, He isn’t trying to limit our joy. He’s guiding us into joy. His commands are the guardrails on the road to peace, purpose, and abundant life. Every “yes” to God opens the door to something that bring us closer to Him.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the grace and the mercy you grant us daily. May we use this love as an opportunity to grow as followers of Christ. Our Father, may your words touch our souls and may we develop discernment in order to be sensible to your orders. I pray that your disciples follow the path you built for them. May we learn to surrender to You and leave our worldly habits behind. May your love overflow our hearts and drown the things that keep us away from your glory. I pray that we walk towards You with confidence. God bless us and strengthen us daily while we grow into obedience for you. Lord may we do what the word says and not merely listen to it, and so deceive ourselves. May we serve as examples of your
Amen
Written by Sophie Lacasse