| “The father of a righteous child has great joy…” |
| —Proverbs 23:24a |
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we do not obey God because we think we can earn points with Him. Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. Because God has chosen us to belong to Himself, our entrance to heaven is secure—as secure as His love for us.
We obey God because we love Him. The fruit of our love for God is obedience to His written Word and to His revealed will. By obeying God, we show Him that He is more important than we are. What He wants is more important than what we want. Obedience is an act of selflessness. We don’t obey God intentionally to benefit us. We obey God as a sign of our devotion to Him.
Now it is true that our obedience to God does bring benefits into our lives because His way for us is the best way. But, the impetus for our obedience is born out of our love for Him. King Solomon also reported an added benefit from our obedience when he wrote these words in Proverbs 23:24:
The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
Our obedience brings our heavenly Father joy, just as obedience brings joy to an earthly father. Let’s determine to show our love for God today by obeying Him. And, let us do so knowing our obedience brings Him joy. Let’s become “joy makers”!
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2016
