Spiritual Growth Articles
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ARE
YOU
WILLING
AND
OBEDIENT?
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Grow:
to increase or become greater
(John 3:30)
How does anything grow?
It must be in an environment that fosters growth.
What environment fosters personal spiritual growth?
Willingness and obedience.
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INSINCERITY:
NEITHER
WILLING
NOR
OBEDIENT
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For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
~James 1:23-25
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When I was training my young children to obey me, I would give them an instruction and then ask them to say, “Yes, Mommy, I will.”
One of my children learned to say this phrase with ease and repeat it when asked to obey, but yet this child continued in the current activity without actually acting upon the “willingness” expressed by the response.
The child was simply repeating the words with no intention of obeying. This is an example of being insincere—neither willing nor obedient.
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Note: I added one thing to child training after that. When I would instruct my young children to obey, I would say, “Remember to say, ‘Yes, Mommy, I will and then do it.’” I’d also follow up to be sure that the children had actually done what I asked of them.
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Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the parents who told their child to sit down.
When the child refused, the parents threatened and so the child sat down.
When the parents expressed their pleasure at the child’s obedience, the child replied, “I may be sitting down on the outside but I’m standing up on the inside.”
This child was obedient but not willing.
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In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus also addressed a man who was obedient but not willing. This rich man was obediently keeping all the commandments (v. 20) but yet was not willing to obey the Lord’s specific instruction to him. This rich man was willing to obey the law but not willing to obey the Lord.
Additionally, Jonah, by coercion, obeyed God although he was not willing. Also, The Pharisees were obedient to the law but yet not willing or yielded to God’s will for their lives.
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Simon, who claimed to be someone great (Acts 8:9), was a believer who had a willingness to possess the authority of God but whose heart was not right before God.
His willingness was not coupled with genuine obedience to the Lord inwardly but rather counterfeit obedience to the things of the Lord outwardly that would bring him personal gain and power.
He was willing to receive and practice what appeared to be from the Lord, but he was not obedient to the Lord.
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Have you ever tried to lose weight?
Perhaps you struggle with keeping your house in order.
Or maybe you really want to stop yelling at your children.
You sincerely want to make changes in these areas—you are willing—but yet you reach for the chocolate bar when you know you shouldn’t, or you simply leave the laundry stacked up on the couch when you know you should put it away, or you continue to yell at your children because, you reason, they are getting on your nerves.
You are willing to change, but you are not obedient (Matthew 26:41).
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I pray this series of articles
will renew your mind about the process of spiritual growth
as you open the door of your life to Him
through your willingness and obedience.
By God’s grace, mercy, and love for you
may you grow up into Christ, your Head,
and by His power be
released to love.
Articles in this series:
Create Margin
Hearken!
Invite the Lord’s Chastening through Obedience
Believe and Abide
Simply Surrender
Worship and Pray Without Ceasing
Be Content and Hope in Christ
Wisely Steward Your Liberty
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