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IBS 61 - Jeremiah 7:23

Jeremiah 7:23
“But I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.”

Obeying is something that will always come up. It’s not one of those things you learn and it goes to the back of your mind, it’s something you learn and continue to learn and have to work on forever. I know plenty of adults/elderly people who are having to work on obeying still. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.
I always thought I was very obedient and submissive.  Even when I tried to be disobedient and rebellious it never worked out because obeying has always been my life. Recently, though, I’ve realized how false that is. Yes, I’ve obeyed but I haven’t always obeyed in my heart. That’s where it counts. Yes I obey my parents, but I haven’t always wanted too. My parents always told me to obey now and ask questions later. That has been engrained in my mind, and that’s how I grew up. So I always thought I was good because I obeyed authoritative figures in my life. 
These past few months, I’ve seen how disobedient I am. I’ve been very disobedient to the one who created me, the one who shapes me, the one who calls me by my name and loves me unconditionally. Instead of taking the “obey now ask questions later” application to God, I usually end up arguing with God. 
Last year when God was telling me to sign up for Ignite, I said no and questioned God. When I finally decided too I wanted to go in my timing. God was leading me in His timing, and although I ended up obeying Him eventually, I fought Him for a while. In training I argued with God a lot about my spiritual growth. Now, being in Costa Rica, I’ve argued with Him about actually being here. I haven’t been obeying completely. I’m here, but I’m absent in my mind. God has called me here to be fully here. He’s called me here to “thrive, not just survive”. Yet, I’ve argued. I’ve just been surviving. I’ve been holding back. Afraid to be all God’s calling me to be. 
When I read this verse, it hit me pretty hard. I haven’t been fully obedient to Christ, and that has to change. Just because I’m here, I signed up for Ignite, doesn’t mean that I’m done having to obey. I have to obey with being fully present and I have to obey with having conversations that I don’t want to have. 
The only reason why I would not fully obey Christ would be because of fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). I said that God created me and loves me unconditionally. If I truly believe that then why do I fear, hindering my obedience? 

“Walk in obedience to all I command you.” 

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