Following Jesus isn’t a formula, rather, its an organic expression of our daily pursuit to learn what it means to relate with Him on a one-on-one basis. We are becoming a people able to discern His voice and his heart above the chaos surrounding us.
In our humanity, there are times being obedient just isn’t enough to overcome our disobedience. Especially when disobedience turns into willful disobedience where we know we are in the wrong, yet continue doing it. Paul said it best, as I paraphrase him, “I don’t do what I should and I end up doing what I should not.”
Obedience, you know, is an expression of love to the Lord. He has put good, healthy, boundaries for our lives within His word. Yet, there are also very real places of sin that ensnare us. Dare I say, if we’re honest with ourselves, there are times we like being ensnared by those sins…even when we know the shame, condemnation and disappointment we’ll feel on the other side. A place where choosing obedience just doesn’t inspire us.
Perhaps, in those moments, our pursuit should not be simple obedience. Just focusing in on what is “right/wrong” seems like something cheap offered by the performance fostered by a mind rooted in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life, on the other hand, is built on something better…grace.
We need something less focused on right/wrong and something more focused on establishing peace. If acts of our will to pursue obedience aren’t enough anymore, perhaps the best pursuit is to ask the Lord how we can maintain our peace. Courage to make choices that re-establish peace of heart and peace of mind. Often these are simple choices where the thought of having peace in our spirit tempts us more than our sin.
Peace has the amazing ability to lead us once again into a place of intimacy. A guarding of your heart to keep the peace he freely gives to us.
Our goal here is not about perfection in obedience. Rather, to establish patterns of peace so we always know how to pull back into it….even if we do stumble along the path.
Pursue peace, when obedience feels like religious performance. Peace is founded in relationship!
p.s. consider this a raw writing, rough-draft, get the thoughts down on “paper” writing. I’ll mature it later.
Ron