The Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice. Being obedient to God doesn’t just happen though. It requires intentionality.
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One of the very first episodes released of the podcast was an episode titled “Say What, God?” In that episode, I went into detail about how God told me to do something that I did not want to do. Hear me clearly… when I say I didn’t want to do it, I mean I REALLY did not want to do it.
The thing God very clearly told me to do was to lead a committee for an organization I’m a member of. If you want to hear the backstory of how He communicated this to me and the details surrounding the situation, then I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode.
It’s a quick episode, so check it out.
Being Obedient to God
Let’s dive into this update. The thing God told me to do was to Chair the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee for an organization that I am a member of. I’m a Black woman and I know my Black experience. My experience is similar to that of other Black Americans but make no mistake, my experience is in no way the experience of the entire race and is not a qualifier to teach other people how to be more inclusive of other races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, ableism, etc.
I am also not an expert in diversity and inclusion matters. I do not have any special training or certifications in diversity and inclusion. This is so far outside of my area of expertise that I really just felt very unequipped to lead the team. On top of that, this was only my second year in the organization so I had a very loose concept of how it runs from a leadership perspective.
Being obedient to God and leading this committee just did not make a sense for a logical perspective.
Shift in Perspective
At the end of the day I had to figure something out because once God told me to go, I went ahead and accepted the appointment. In doing so, one of the things that was very clear to me was that I needed to shift my perspective on this assignment.
Instead of focusing on what I lacked, I prayed for what I needed, and thanked God in advance for providing it.
God delivered Every. Single Time. We had everything we needed on that committee.
Come to find out, I was the right person for the job. Starting a committee from scratch requires a particular set of skills that I happened to possess like problem solving, strategic thinking, understanding human nature, and leadership. Where I fell short, there was someone on the committee who was better suited to guide that particular mission.
Takeaways
I gave you this update because I wanted you to be able to see up close what it is like being obedient to God, even when you do not want to, in hopes that it will encourage you to move forward when God tells you to do something.
Being obedient to God is such an important part of our walk as Believers and as people committed to living out God’s purposes for our lives. You know what I mean? Purpose is all about obedience.
Obedience is such a holy act. It gives us an opportunity to be in complete alignment with God and His plan.
When God tells you to do something, He isn’t just ordering you around just because. He is inviting you to hear from Him, join Him on an adventure of faith, and most importantly to trust Him.
Obedience doesn’t just happen. It’s a consequence of spiritual intimacy, you’re more inclined to be obedient when you’ve been spending quality time with God.
Benefits of Obedience
When you are obedient and allow yourself to be directed by God there are benefits.
- Provision. One benefit is supernatural provision. The truth of the matter is God knew exactly what I would need on the committee. He knew I would need someone good at graphic design. He knew I would need someone good at collecting and analyzing data. And before I even knew I needed it, He provided it. He will do the same for you.
- Protection. Another benefit of obedience is protection. While God is not mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther by name, the book shows just how God moves on our behalf behind the scenes. God protected Esther from the punishment of death at the hands of the king. She was in divine alignment with His will.
- Blessings. God loves to bless us, but there are some blessings that are only given when we are obedient and in alignment with where God wants us. The bottom line is, God isn’t obligated, nor does He promise to bless what He didn’t order or where He didn’t send you.
If God is telling you to do something, do it. Seriously. There is a reason. God stands outside of time. He sees the beginning from the end and knows so much more than we know.
And I still stand by the three things that I mentioned in the prior episode that got me through, which were to pause, pray, and pursue it.
Pause
- Take a few deep breaths and spend some time thinking about why you may be responding the way you are.
- For me, I was having the thoughts of lack of experience, skill, and bandwidth because I was looking at my own strengths and abilities. But that isn’t how this works at all.
- God qualifies who He calls. So that’s why it’s crucial for you to take some time to think about why you may be responding the way you are.
- After you pause and think, the second tip I have is to pray.
Pray
- Pray to ask God to transform your heart and thoughts and to guide you.
- Trust God and know that He will provide everything you need.
- And don’t pray about your problems, pray the solutions. Thank Him because what you need has already been provided to you
- The next tip is to pursue it.
Pursue It
Just go ahead and accept the invitation to go on a beautiful faith-filled adventure with your father, knowing that He has your front, back, and your sides protected.
If you are faithful in the small things and obey the little promptings from God, then God can use you to do big things.
If you don’t know your purpose, I invite to take my free quiz that will help you identify your unique path to purpose. It’s super quick, fun, and insightful!
Click here to take the quiz and find your personal path to your purpose.
Want More?
If you enjoyed this episode, then you may also enjoy the episode of the show about the fear of success and how it hinders purpose or this episode detailing what to expect when operating in your purpose.
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