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Well I’m sure that with a topic like “Reluctant Obedience“, you must be curious of what does that really mean. It’s an oxymoron at the very least, so please allow me to explain…

If you read my blog posts regularly, you know that I have been in a rather unusual place spiritually for over a month now. It started around the beginning of February, when business (just like the Kerith Brook, remember the Elijah story – 1 Kings 17?) started to dry up.   I won’t bore you with all the details, but my relationship with the Holy Spirit became even more intentional and intense.  As I was coming out to my drought, He started to ask me some very poignant questions about my spiritual preparedness for what was ahead and apparently, I was not ready! 

Then, about the middle of February, something very interesting happened, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to take my Order Your Steps podcast to the next level.  For the first time that I can remember, the Holy Spirit was very specific on the details.  However, in the spirit of total transparency, I reluctantly obeyed… I tried to explain to the Holy Spirit that most of the women are too busy to even listen to podcast, yet alone participate in, yet another Zoom meeting on a Sunday afternoon.  Now I’m sure that you all are judging me right now, but let’s be honest, why are we pretending with the Lord, He knows what we are thinking, before we think it. 

Well, a few women signed up, but I still was not convinced that it was going to happen.  But then I heard the Holy Spirit very clearly say something very profound, He said “it is not your responsibility to get them there, that’s my job, and your job is to prepare a place for them to come.”

So the question is, how many times have we been reluctantly obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, because we have taken responsibility for something that wasn’t ours to begin with and thought that we could control the outcome. 

Interesting enough, as I had suspected, we had to reschedule our Sunday chat.  Later that same afternoon, I was talking to a friend of mine about the situation, and the term, Reluctant Obedience came to my mind and yes, she judged me lovingly, of course.  I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for me, but I am definitely being prepared for the next leg of my journey.  So, yet again, I’m learned some very valuable lessons: 

• Never challenge the Holy Spirit, a really, really dumb idea, and yes, I knew better.
• When He tells you to do something, reluctant obedience is disobedience, and we never want to be guilty of that.
• There are so many blessings that comes with our obedience to the Lord with your entire being. 

A Call to Love and Obedience

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.  And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. 

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

The Blessings of Obedience

But you have seen the Lord perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes! “Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey!  Deuteronomy 11:7-9

Deuteronomy 11:7-9

• Knowing just how much the Lord loves us and He always knows and wants what is best for us, even when we don’t. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 

Proverbs 3:5-6