Sometimes obedience to the Lord looks like walking straight into sorrow.

Sometimes the goodness in obedience is obvious. Okay Jesus, You want me to love on the ones that are hard to love? I can see the impact of that. Okay Jesus, you want me to obey You and move to a city where I know no one? It seems scary, but I see the potential for so much beauty in that.

But sometimes it’s not so obvious, and sometimes the goodness is buried very, very deep. Okay Jesus, You want me to end yet another blossoming relationship with a guy I care so much about? You want me to lose my best friend? My fave off day buddy? My normal? Where is the good hiding in that? Cause it’s definitely not obvious and the reality is actually pretty darn painful.

And ya know what? I knew this was coming. I knew that the decision to end what was precious to me would make me feel exactly this way. I knew it would entail tears and struggling to eat and so many days that I feel utterly alone… and yet the decision was made to be obedient, to trust that the Lord is good even when circumstances are not, and that He is forever for me, rooting me on the way we cheer on our babies when they take their first steps.

“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them and we will come and make our home with them.'” -John 14:23

Friends, the goodness of obedience isn’t found in the circumstances. The goodness of obedience is found in Jesus alone. It’s found in the home that the triune God makes within us and the table that He daily invites us to.

I think sometimes we use the Lord as a means to an end… we want marriage? We ask Him to give it to us. We want a nice job? Yet another thing to add to our list of requests. But what if all we truly wanted was to know Him, truly know Him more? What if He Himself was, in fact, the end we’ve been searching for? And what if every single request we made was smothered in a longing to see the heart of the Father instead of a longing to further our earthly agendas? How would it change how we pray? How would it change how we live?

I think that if we really truly believed that Jesus Himself was the end and not the means, that we would all be freed to walk fearlessly in the path of obedience, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that the end would be good… because the end would be God.

I think that obedience is good for us not because it results in pretty jobs or handsome husbands or fun stories, I think that obedience is valuable simply because it’s a sure fire way to end up knowing the God of all creation even more intimately.

So buds, this week just be reassured that obedience, no matter how difficult or costly, is worth it. Even if it looks like walking into sorrow, remember that God Himself is walking into it with you, beaming over every single step you take in the right direction and ready to dry your tear-filled eyes. He’s stronger than the strongest of storms, higher than the highest of mountains, and willing to carry you every step of the way.

All my love,