FAVOR in Obedience

The more obedient I am to what God has called me to, the happier I am.

Is it always comfortable? Is it always what I “want” to do? Does it mean life is perfect & without trials? NO.

But I firmly believe personal “happiness” is tied strongly to obedience.

For the record, I believe God is more concerned with our holiness & shaping us to be more like him than he is our “happiness.” I also believe we can have JOY that comes from the Lord even when our circumstances aren’t necessarily “happy." But I do believe God wants us to live an abundant life (John 10:10) that far exceeds all we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

We see over and over in the Bible how God rewards those who are obedient. He is faithful, and He blesses those who are faithful in return with His favor. There are countless Biblical examples. Abraham, Noah, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Sarah, Hannah…the list goes on. If you want a modern day example, take a look at Chik-Fil-A. The restaurant, which closes on Sundays so employees can go to church and spend time with family, generates more revenue than all other fast food restaurants (including McDonald’s) that are open 7 days a week. There are all kinds of speculations about WHY this is, but want to know the real answer? FAVOR.

Favor from the Lord. I’m sure most “business experts” think that’s crazy and advised against it. But Truett Cathy’s decision to stand firm & follow the Lord, even if it wasn’t popular, led to massive success. Because God honors obedience.

We don’t like to talk about it, but there are consequences for sin and disobedience, which usually come in the form of circumstances that make us “feel unhappy.” Many times we blame God or question if he’s really there, when in fact we should really be looking in the mirror for who is responsible. A wise Sunday School teacher once taught us that “disobedience hurts.” Ever seen a mom tell her kiddo to stop doing something, the kid not listen, and end up getting hurt? Picture it. A little boy running around the swimming pool. Mom: “Stop running. You’re going to get hurt!” Kid: continues running. Slips, falls, busts his head. DISOBEDIENCE hurts.

Now think about that in life circumstances. Know someone who married someone God did not intend for them to marry? Everyone in their life warned them against it, but he/she was soooo “in love” they did it anyway? There is a big chance all those red flags continued to unfold, and now that person is unhappy in marriage or even divorced. Is it God’s fault that person didn’t seek the Lord? Or someone who spent a LOT of money buying something that felt good in the moment, but is now spending a lifetime of regret attempting to pay off the debt, and absolutely miserable? (These are just examples. It doesn’t always happen this way, of course.)

No, this doesn’t mean that life is going to be perfect and that we’re never going to have trials... because we are. But If you want his hand and his anointing on you...then you must walk in obedience.

His Word is not a list of rules preventing us from having any fun. It’s boundaries set in place to protect us from harm. Because He can see things we cannot see, and doing things HIS way are far better than doing things OUR way. There is such reward in obedience. And we have way more control over our circumstances than we realize. I don’t always get this right, but praise the Lord I am learning! I have spent way too much time suffering consequences that resulted from my own disobedience. I’m grateful I’m finally mature enough to take personal responsibility and ownership. (There is so much freedom in that actually. No blaming, making excuses, etc. Just owning it.) The seeds we plant now will result in the fruits we eat later. Choose to obey the Word of God! His promises are real & so, so sweet.