Radical Obedience

Chapter 6 of our on-line bible study: "What Happens When Women Say YES to GOD" by Lysa TerKeurst, hosted by Lelia.

Radical obedience is born out of delight, not duty" (pp.93). I completely get this statement now. If I had read this 4 years ago I don't think I would have. I have learned in my journey of life that loving God is not a duty. It is not about how many christian activities I am involved in but being involved in what God has called me to. It is not about having a faithful quiet time each morning at 5:15 but about my heart during that time and how much of me I am giving Him during not only that time but throughout the remainder of the day. My journey has grown from a duty for God to delighting in Him. Lamentations 3:22-24 reflects my heart, even though it was written thousands of years ago:

"The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him"

I have learned to seek Him in all things, the good and the bad. Seeking Him in everthing is no longer a duty but a delightful habit.



A situation happened last week and as I was praying and later reading during the "wait", a comment spoke to me from the pages of this book (I know God so put it tthere for me for that moment): "Of what manner of spirit am I?" (Having a Mary Spirit-Joanna Weaver). In this situation my husband and I were facing, we could seek retaliation, we could seek justice or we could seek to honor God and see His best for an outcome. I shared this statement with my husband and we both mellowed. The bad is not so bad because we decided to look at it from Gods perspective-a refining process, a moding of who we are in Him and we accepted it willing and with open arms. In the end, God will be honored and He will carry us though. It gives us joy, we are protected, we are being provided for and we are secure in it-because we walk with God in it (just like Lysa described in this chapter!).

There was a time in my life I wouldn't have reacted in this way. Nor am I perfect at this radical obedience but there is so much delight in doing it God's way. As Lysa wrote out this prayer in this chapter, I felt as if she stole the words from my heart:

"God, I love you and choose to accept the assignments You place before me with an attitude that reflects the truth that you live in me. I know I won't do this perfectly, and I admit my inability to do this in my strength. So, I say yes to You today. I say yes to Your desire to invade my natural flesh responses. I say yes to Your forgiveness when i mess up. I say yes to Your invitation to be obedient even when other paths seem more appealing. I say yes even as my lips desire to utter a thousand times over, 'I can't'. I say yes to loving you more." (pp.103)

I rest in the delight of walking with God-it was what I was design for. Though I have know God since childhood, He is more real to me today then He ever was. I wish I had figured this out earlier but now was the time, God's timing. I am scared to death of what is ahead of me. I hear His voice. I am unworthy by man's standards. Only in God's hands can I do above and beyond what I am capable of and I am willing-I say YES Lord. It involves the sacrifice of surrendering my ego, my pride, and my shame because I am no longer of those things. I am forgiven. Using my sufferings for God's glory may be painful but maybe one soul will avoid the same sins I have experienced, maybe one soul will come to know Christ. That is what it is all about.

"The stones that had caused me to stumble in life were the very ones that were also building my character and my destiny"

~Tracie Miles, Reinventing Your Rainbow

My mind has been transformed. I have a new soul and heart that loves God passionately. Radical obedience. I choose it, do you?

In His Graces~Pamela