“If you love me, keep my commands.” -John 14:15
This week, a friend shared a couple quotes from Henry Blackaby that struck a chord in my heart. The first was this: “Our difficulty is not that we don’t know God’s will. Our discomfort comes from the fact that we do know His will, but we do not want to do it.” And the second: “Satan will try to convince you that obedience carries much too high a price, but he will never tell you the cost of not obeying God.”
These words hit hard because they speak a truth many of us feel but are afraid to admit. We hesitate because we know that obedience often costs us something…our comfort, our plans, our control. How often do we know what God wants us to do or how He wants us to live, but we push back because it’s not what we want?
We can look at people in the Bible like David and say, “Sure, I’ll obey if it leads me to the palace.” But what if instead of leading us to the throne, our obedience leads us to chains—like it did for Paul? Will we still say yes? Will we continue to follow even when God’s path takes us into hard places, unknown seasons, or even unwanted callings?
Selective obedience isn’t really obedience at all. It’s just conditional surrender. True obedience, the kind that reflects the heart of Jesus, says “yes” regardless of the cost. Jesus demonstrated this for all of us. He obeyed the Father even to the point of death, showing us that obedience isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it.
The enemy would love for us to believe that saying yes to God will ruin our lives, steal our joy, or leave us empty. But the truth is, the cost of disobedience is far greater. Think of Jonah running from God’s command—it didn’t lead to freedom, it led to a storm and a giant fish. Think of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, who walked away sad because he wasn’t willing to pay the price of obedience. We rarely consider the opportunities, blessings, and growth we miss when we say no to God.
Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Obedience is not about legalism or fear—it’s a love response. We obey because we trust Him and believe that His ways are higher. We obey because we know that in the upside-down Kingdom of God, surrender leads to freedom, and obedience leads to life.
My prayer is that we become people who say yes to God, not just when it’s easy or when it benefits us, but always. Because the cost of obedience is always less than the cost of disobedience.
Lord, thank You for loving us enough to call us into a life of obedience. Forgive us for the times we’ve hesitated, questioned, or resisted Your will. Help us to trust You more deeply, to surrender more fully, and to obey more quickly. Give us the courage to say yes, even when the cost is high, and remind us that You are always faithful. -Amen
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