Obedience, without obedience to the will and Word of God, you cannot serve God. The word itself, serve, means to provide a service to, it means whether willfully or against one’s will, a service is being provided, to serve the Lord means that we are providing a service for Him.
Far too many today that call themselves His servants only serve Him in one way, within themselves, they have determined that by living a “good” life, they are being pleasing to the Lord, it is a form of self-sacrifice that they perform indeed, but that serving never goes outside of themselves, it does not flow out into the general public, so to speak. It is a sacrifice indeed, but the Scriptures are clear, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:22)
Obedience means performing a task, one that is required of us, one in fact that we are commanded to do, and what the Lord commands, if we do not do as we have been told, means that we are being disobedient. We have, as a people, determined to disobey, few there are that praise His name each day, many times a day, few that seek His face to know His will better, and fewer still are those who are willing to stick their necks out for Him, so to speak. I cannot imagine the amount of people who will profess a belief in God yet are embarrassed to speak His name in public. “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)
What can one say about them? Are their hearts far from Him? Do they indeed love Him, but fear the reprisals of their friends and family members, do they believe that they are saved, but need only to prove this salvation to themselves?
In nearly every pew in every church on this planet sits either a weaker brother or sister, or an unsaved person who is self-deceived, there are no other options, we either serve willingly in fear and trembling, (Psalm 2:11) or we do not.
To serve means to have faith, faith for the strength in every area that He will provide, that we will be given everything we need to accomplish the tasks set before us. It means that we are responsible to study and contemplate the Scriptures, to pray continuously not only to be led, but for the willingness to follow, it means a desire to be obedient. God does not force us to obey, we are free to do as we please, and here is the point where we can make the determining judgment call upon ourselves, can you look back on your life since the cross and say “I have served,” can you look back and say that you have run the best race that you possibly could. (1 Cor. 9:24)
Each of us are quick to look at our own faults first, and well we should, for we learn from these mistakes, but can you honestly say that you have been obedient, that you have not shirked your duties, that you have gone beyond what the Scriptures call an unprofitable servant. (Luke 17:10) And then can you do all of that without pride, without vanity, giving God the glory for each step that was taken simply to lift up the name of Jesus, can you humbly say, “I said Thy will be done” more than I said, “My will is being done?” Without obedience to the will and Word of God, you will never be profitable.
