Loving Obedience - The One Year At His Feet Devotional
Loving Obedience
Read: John 14:23-24
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”
John 14:23
“Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to Him.”
—Nathanael Emmons
IN WORD How reluctant our generation is to link love and obedience! We see love and commitment as two separate entities, whether the issue is marriage, friendship, or discipleship. We want to say we love Jesus even when we have no intention of obeying Him. Jesus gives us no such option. Obedience is an indicator of what’s in the heart. If we obey Him, it means we love Him. If we don’t obey Him, it means we don’t really love Him—not as much as our other loves, anyway. Our hearts will be wherever our treasure is (Matthew 6:21). If our hearts are not invested in His teaching, we won’t follow Him, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that we are His disciples.
Love and commitment are inextricably linked. Our actions and our hearts are bound together. That does not mean that we can’t act superficially and hypocritically, as the Pharisees illustrate. A person’s actions will sometimes paint a picture that does not originate from his or her internal condition. But a heart that loves Jesus cannot help but be zealous about His teachings; and a heart that does not love Him can only follow His teachings superficially, if at all. Love and obedience go hand in hand.
IN DEED How is your obedience? Is it sporadic? Then so is your love. Is it halfhearted? Then so is your love. You may not always be full of passionate feelings toward your Savior, but the committed kind of love will follow Him persistently, even when the feelings are not there. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that your love for Him is all that counts and your actions do not. You cannot earn His favor with your obedience, but you cannot really love Him without it. Just as a husband and wife must demonstrate their love for one another, so must a disciple and his master. Jesus has already demonstrated His love. Show Him yours. Obey His teaching.
