Not many people enjoy chores. I’m one of them. Cooking and baking, yes, but the cleanup, not so much. A number of years ago, however, cleaning the kitchen had a profound impact on my life.
Grieving losses in my life, I found cleaning the kitchen utterly joyless. I relished the cleanliness but had no desire to do anything about it. Until I shifted my focus to obedience.
One night, I relented to my nagging internal voice reminding me to clean. I dove in. With my hands submerged in bubbles, I found myself talking to God. I wound up with a spotless kitchen and a soothed soul. So I did it again the next night.
Night after night, as I washed and cleaned, I silently poured my heart out to God. Still grieving, I wanted answers. But at some point, my prayers switched from complaining to seeking. I sought direction, strength, and insight for my life. Obediently doing something undesirable turned into one of my most transformational moments. [tweetthis]Small obedience leads to big transformation. [/tweetthis]
Obedience makes us all bristle. We are told by the world to blaze our own path and follow our dreams. While not necessarily bad, God has a better plan. When planning and creating goals, it is best to seek God’s will. The problem is God’s will may not be what we want. The way we practically apply God’s will in our lives is by obeying Him.
As Christians, we are called to obey. God repeatedly commands us to obey Him, His commandments and decrees. Yet, daily we commit sins which clearly do the opposite. Whether sins of commission (we do something wrong) or sins of omission (we neglect to do what we know we should), it is still disobedience.
We feel guilty, repent and receive His forgiveness. But I think God also wants us to learn from our mistakes. We all mess up. As discussed on a previous MemoryMinders blog, when missteps happen in life, let’s learn and grow so we don’t repeat them.
Obedience in a small thing, like the dishes for me, can lead to motivation and larger acts of obedience. It may be choosing healthier foods as we obey God’s directive to honor our bodies. Maybe it’s committing to worship and not sleeping in on the Sabbath. Small acts of obedience remind us of God’s faithfulness.
Whenever I feel less than motivated, I remember how obedience in the small leads to transformation in the big. Whatever small step of obedience we take; God notices. When we are faithful, He gives us more faith and endurance to keep following. But it takes those small acts of faithful obedience to see the next step and move forward.
As we push on with our goals, let’s not view obedience as bad. Use it as God intended: to help us honor and follow Him. When we obey, He will continue to lead us to the life He planned for us long ago. How we walk in obedience to God’s will looks different for each of us. But start small, like with the dishes and let’s see where God takes us!
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ~James 1:2-3