Stepping Stones: God’s Desire: Relationship or Obedience?

Transformational Thought

Yesterday we discussed what God desires from us. Today I want to be more specific. Say you have a choice between the following 2 kids … which would you choose? “Straight-A Jane” does everything right, chores all perfect, homework on time, straight A’s, never breaks curfew, courteous, polite, follows all the rules … BUT, she doesn’t really like you, it doesn’t matter to her if you feel down, she isn’t interested in spending time with you or finding out more about you and can’t wait to leave home when she turns 18.

Your other daughter, “Absent-Minded Mindy”, on the contrary, is rough around the edges, needs reminding for chores and homework, grades range from D’s to B’s, is forgetful, and ill-mannered at times … BUT, she loves you and cares about you, she celebrates when you’re happy and is sad when you hurt, she wants to spend time with you, is interested in how you tick, what you are interested in, and what you dream about, and enjoys going on errands with you.

No-brainer, right? Well, sometimes we get caught up thinking God is more interested in our obedience to Him rather than our relationship with Him. Sure, He wants both. But if He could only have one, He would yearn for our relationship with Him. Easy example: just think of the criminal on the cross, who had a minimal track record of obedience but believed in Christ, and how God rewarded him eternally. Or think of Mary and Martha: Jesus praised Mary’s pursuit of relationship and corrected Martha’s obedient pursuit of chores.

Satan’s system, our flesh, and our baggage are always pushing us into this work-based system for approval first. Then once we won God’s approval, He would want to have relationship with us. But the truth is really the other way around. Regardless of our long track record of disobedience, He pursues us like the father of the prodigal son, because He so loved the world that he sacrificed His only Son.

Today, take a look at how much of your day is spent in dutiful obedience, and how much is spent building and growing a relationship with your Heavenly Father. When you shift the scales so that pursuit of relationship far outweighs obedience, you will realize that you actually become obedient to God and His instruction. Your decision, choose well.

Prayer
O God, thanks for desiring relationship with me even before I learn how to be obedient to You. If it were the other way around, and I needed to be cleaned up before I was worthy enough for You, I would be eternally damned. Help me not to fall into our world’s mentality of pursuing your approval instead of pursuing You. Once I learn to be close to You, the rest will take care of itself. In the name of the one who binds me to You in relationship, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!

The Truth
And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:39-42

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Luke 23:39-43