By: Temi Sanusi
Sometimes, it's God's simplest requests that act as stepping stones to life's finest blessings. Other times, it feels like it would take a lot from us to obey. One thing is certain though; God's value for complete obedience.
A routine Sunday afternoon for me would soon become interesting. You see, I had been expectant, for weeks now...anxiously waiting on God. He had previously dropped in my heart Philippians 4 verse 6, reminding me not to fret but to bring everything to Him. So, I was sure He was with me in this, but why was He taking so long?
And then the test came.
I had just come out of my church. With things still weighing heavy on my mind, I am randomly approached by a young lady asking for some money to pay for a place to stay for the night. Armed with my valid excuse, I quickly let her know that I didn't have any cash on me. She suddenly pulled out her phone, letting me know I could still send her the money. There was no escaping this now! As I reluctantly pulled out my phone, I prepared to send her a sum I had deemed fair, and then I heard the instruction from God to give her everything I had.
Could this really be God? Did I really hear those words? These are some of the questions I had found myself asking in that moment. Who was I fooling though? That certainly wasn't my first-time hearing from God. And as much as it hurt me to admit it, I was sure of what I heard, and the instruction...crystal clear. So I gave her everything that I had. You see, I have never had an issue with giving. But I must say though, God really does have a good sense of humour; asking me- someone in need, expectantly waiting for a financial breakthrough- to sow into someone else's life. To sow all I had at that point in time, as a matter of fact.
Two days after Sunday's incident, I rolled over in my bed and reached out for my phone. Staring back at me was the answer to weeks of praying and waiting. And then the memories came rushing back- the lady clutching her phone, earnestly searching my eyes for an inkling of hope that she would have a place to spend the night. God reminded me of my act of obedience. My obedience to his instruction to give activated the manifestation of the breakthrough I had been longing for. It must be noted though, I hadn't obeyed at that point because I wanted to trigger His blessings. I obeyed because He told me to.
The Bible affirms in John chapter 14 verse 5 that our love for Christ should be the greatest motivator for or obedience to Him. The virtue of obedience shows complete surrender and alignment with God's will. This is essentially what true freedom is-- total submission. Total submission to Christ Who has set us free. In a world where freedom is often associated with self-will, it is vital to know that true freedom can only exist in Christ and being aligned with His own will for us. Once we recognise this, then our journey to true freedom will begin through a renewed heart that is transformed by God's Holy Spirit.
