The Importance of Obedience & Faithfulness Even When It Hurts
So you may be thinking that this is just another Christian blog post on obedience and faithfulness that is to condemn and judge you and your way of life. Well, I can share that it is not any of those things. Instead, this blog post will be one in which I will focus on sharing my current struggles that I am facing on my walk as a believer, in order to encourage you to stay on the path of righteousness, so that you can win the race that the Lord has set out for both you and I:
As a believer who loves Jesus, I still get it wrong. I still struggle with sin just like any other Christian. I am far from perfect, despite there being times that I don’t want to admit it. I am weak and struggle with sin, just like you, the apostles, prophets, and Kings in the Bible;
“Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” ~ Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~Matthew 26:41 NIV
Despite all of these things, God still found us worthy of salvation and as a result, He gave His only begotten Son to be crucified on the cross; thankfully it doesn’t end there. Jesus rose on the third day and due to His sacrifices, we now have the ability to receive and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” ~ John 3:16 NKJV
“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NLT
Despite our struggles with sin, we are still called to a righteous and holy living:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ~ Matthew 6:33
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ~ kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ~ Matthew 6:33
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” ~ Psalm 34:19
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” ~ Proverbs 11:30
“If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” ~ 1 John 2:29
“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” ~ Psalm 37:25
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” ~ Proverbs 4:18
“A man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved.” ~ Proverbs 12:3
So then, what are you to do when God asks you to give up the very thing that you love? Crave? Desire? Are you willing to release your grip onto those things and open your hands to the Lord, releasing your every desire, so that you can be fully empty of yourself and full of God? For you can try to find peace and fulfillment in the things of this world; from drugs, to sex, gambling, a career, a college degree/education, etc., you name it! However, God is the only one who can quench every thirst, “For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children” (Isaiah 44:3 NLT). God is the only one who can give you eternal joy and peace, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:3 NLT).
About two months ago, God brought me to my knees, to the end of myself. For the first time in my journey of faith, I was healed in a way that is unexplainable. He asked me if I truly loved Him and if I did, that I would give Him my every desire. That I would unclench my hands, release them, and have open palms towards His Kingdom. Allowing Him to empty me of myself and to fill me up with all of Him. Though He knew and I knew, I was asked to give up the very desires on my heart that I had been fighting and warring with Him about for over 11 years; the desire to be married, the desire to have children, and the desire to be a multimillionaire (not just to be a blessing to my family, but to bless His children in anyway He saw fit with finances no longer being a hindrance to those plans). It is when I was asked if I truly loved Him, that I realized I did not. I loved the idea of me being married, with children-a beautiful family, and a multimillionaire more. That was a difficult reality to accept but it was the truth and nothing is too great for God to handle, “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jeremiah 32:17 NLT). So I ask you, what is it that God is asking you to give up? Is it having sex and finding your identity and fulfillment in the bedroom with someone who is not even your spouse, one that you are not married to? Is it giving up alcohol and drugs such as weed? Is it giving up gambling? Is it being more diligent and disciplined with your finances? Is it a friendship or friendships that are leading you down the path of death? Is it pornography that only can satisfy you for so long before you find yourself spiritually quenched? Is it a desire or dream on your heart that you have been toiling and chasing after for years similar to me? Whatever it may be, God still loves you, and finds you worthy of His love:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” ~ 1 Peter 4:9 NIV
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” ~ Psalm 139:14 NIV
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” ~ Romans 5:8 NLT
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ~ Ephesians 2:10 NIV
“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” ~ Philippians 1:27 NLT
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” ~ Colossians 1:9-14 NIV
Thus, it is time, the time is now. Do not wait any longer to run away from the very things and or people who are leading you towards the journey of death:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” ~Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
You cannot be cold or lukewarm, God calls us to be hot…on fire for Him:
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” ~ Revelation 3:15-16 NIV
The time is now, it is time. Open up your heart and your hands to what the Lord has for you. For His plans are good (Jeremiah 29:11). Choose the path of righteousness for God will never fail you, nor His plans for you or His perfect will.
I recommend that you watch this powerful sermon by Pastor Jerry Flowers that solidifies the message on my heart from God in this blog post: https://youtu.be/in2bVNe6UJY?si=PrEeCxBjg4nJr3IP
With love,
Brya
