The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to really obey Jesus.
Transcript - How to really obey jesus
Obedience seems to be a bad word in our society today. But, to Jesus, it's a really good word.
To be a disciple of Jesus, it's essential to have a life-giving conversation with him each and every day. To get everything we can out of our conversations, there are five choices we need to be aware of. We can choose to...
Open our souls or stay closed off.
Listen to Jesus. We focus on a simple, clear, direct command.
Tell Jesus how we really feel.
Trust Jesus and surrender to His will, or look elsewhere for life.
Obey Jesus. To obey or not to obey Jesus, that is the question.
In Luke chapter 6, Jesus deals directly with a widespread problem found in every Christian today, especially in me. He says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:46-48 (ESV)
But what if I don’t do what He says?
“But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:49 (ESV)
I’ve experienced this first hand, and I’ve witnessed lots of pain and sorrow in lives built on hearing and not doing. How can we make sure we’re doing and not just hearing?
If we respond with smart actions we will clearly know when we obey Jesus and when we don’t.
It's an acronym S. M. A. R. T.
S - Specific actions: They are direct, detailed, and meaningful.
Jesus said in John 15,
“I am the vine and you are the branches. Remain in me.”
That’s a clear command to stay connected to Jesus.
For my response to be specific, it helps to answer these questions:
Who? In this case, we are talking about Jesus and myself.
What? I want to engage in a Life-Giving Conversation with Jesus.
Where? In my home office.
How? I want to do this with my best focus and energy.
M - Measurable actions: These are quantifiable and can be tracked in order to monitor progress or success.
For example: I will stay connected to Jesus by having a focused conversation for at least 15 minutes each day this week.
That deals with quantity and consistency.
But what if I wanted to track quality? Am I giving my best to Jesus? Or am I rushing through the 15 minutes or distracted by the chaos in and around me? I could use a scale from 1-10 to rate my engagement and hold myself accountable.
A - Attainable actions: These are realistic and require us to have the tools or resources to achieve them. Is it realistic to say that I can be focused on Jesus for 15 minutes every day for the next seven days?
I might need a Bible to listen to Jesus and a notebook to record my commitments.
How about a plan or a script to follow when talking to Him? (Stay tuned, we’re working on those!)
R - Relevant actions: These align with God’s specific command that you have chosen to obey.
Jesus wants me to stay connected to Him. Investing 15 minutes a day connecting to Him fits that command.
T - Time-based actions: These have a definite time frame and completion date.
Now I could say I'm going to have a conversation with Jesus for 15 minutes a day everyday for the rest of my life. But let's start a little smaller than that.
Remember it needs to be attainable for you. I give you permission and even encourage you to start really small. Why? Because we want to get wins. When we obey Jesus even in a very small way, it's a win. Small wins over time make a big impact. I believe it would be better to give God everything you have for 30 seconds a day for 30 days than to pray one day for 15 minutes.
The difference between Motion and Action:
(These thoughts are inspired by James Clear who wrote Atomic Habits.)
In working SMART, there is a difference between motion and action. For example:
Motion is when you listen to a talk on prayer at church.
Action is when you talk to Jesus for 1 minute.
Motion is when you read a book about praying for your friends.
Action is when you pray for your friends for 1 minute.
Motion is when you do a Bible study on the word “obey.”
Action is when you obey a command by “S.M.A.R.T.ly” doing what it says.
Join us in this Commitment:
I will stay connected to Jesus through a minimum minute conversation every day for the next seven days.
“Jesus, remind us and enable us to follow through on this commitment. Amen!”
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Next Blog: How Can We Become What We Were Created to Be?
As you begin to obey Jesus in small ways, know that big things are happening in your soul! Along the way, don’t expect it to be easy. But do know that Jesus makes any afflictions or troubles profoundly worth our allegiance, devotion, and acts of obedience. Joy in the process is not only possible but promised. As an old gospel song teaches us, we can “trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”