Daily Devotional: The Terror of Obedience

​Do you struggle with knowing what to do but fail to do it? There is a simple way to overcome the fears and doubts that prevent us from obeying our Lord.

Matthew 16:24

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Following Christ is scary. You never know where He is taking you. You have no say in what happens in your day. However, this fear of the flesh can be easily overcome by the question, Who are you following?
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When we take our eyes off of ourselves and focus on Christ, the fear dissolves. We can trust the One who redeemed us. We know He is kind, loving, and will never lead us where we should not go or ask us to do anything that will harm us. When Christ asks something  of you and you hesitate, remember these few truths. Remember who is asking it of you, and obedience will no longer be terrifying.

There is an old proverb, look before you leap. The world uses this to teach us to look at our surroundings and make sure we can bridge the gap before we leap. Yet this is contrary to Christ. We almost never know if we can do what is asked of us. We almost never know where we are going! Yet, we do not have to look, we do not have to know the details of the mission, because we trust the One who commanded us. The only look you need to take is a look at Christ. If the command came from Him, then He will enable you to perform it. Because He only wants His best for us, completely obeying Christ only means that we are receiving God’s best for our lives. Do not allow fear and doubt to stand between you and God’s best.

An acquaintance of mine once said that faith is going to the edge of all the light you have and taking one more step. The edge of the light is not something to dread; it is the moment to demonstrate your faith in the personage of Christ, trusting Him to have led you in the right direction and to catch you if you fall.

• Reflection: Do you make excuses to avoid doing what Christ has asked of you because you are afraid of letting go? Leave a comment below to share how God is transforming your life.