The Consequences of Obedience in My Life

The article which talked about obedience spoke to my soul a lot. That is why I will expand on the subject in this write-up. Obedience is a part of our daily walk with God -- the driving force of it. So, in regards to this topic, I ask you to open up your heart to one of my most recent experiences:

I made one of my biggest jumps of my life in August of 2018. I moved alone from my hometown. This includes leaving behind close family members, childhood friends and those I have met along the way -- basically a great amount of people. In addition, I not only left to go to a new city, but a whole new country and continent!

I knew this departure was God’s will for my life. He orchestrated everything in a perfect manner, down to the finest detail. I had found a school and I knew that it was there that I was supposed to study. The most important thing remained: finding a new church. So, before my departure and even before getting my plane ticket, I took some time out to talk to God. I locked myself in my bedroom and poured out my heart to God:

• I wanted to be a part of a church where God wanted me to go: He opened doors for this journey, I was not to push Him into the background of my life, nor was this allowed so that He could abandon me in the midst of all these possibilities! I knew that, from the bottom of my heart, there was a place where God wanted me -- that He would not lead me to a city without preparing for me a family, a place where I feel welcomed. This is true, because Jesus said: “[...] your Father in heaven [gives] good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).
  

• I did not want to invest myself as much in my current church, because in a new country, dealing with a new language and school, I risked being super occupied and spending more time studying...and as a result, having less time to attend church.
  

I had therefore made Him a list of requirements to meet for the church so that he could show me where it was that He wanted me to go. No one knew my prayer to Him.

The following day at church, the Pastor had announced my departure, as well as other peoples’. He called up the elders who prayed for us, and I will always remember this sentence that one of them spoke in prayer: “Lord, make sure that wherever they go, that they may serve You just as they have served you in this church.” Oh, how shocked I was when I had realised God answered me in regards to my situation through those very words! That evening, I had my plane ticket: I was going to leave a week later!

I started looking for my new church by researching online. I was able to visit one in 2017, but due to some personal reasons, I didn't want to go back. Despite this, I was pushed to go back to this church after still searching for one and praying.

A month after my arrival, I had visited and revisited multiple churches. I had returned to one that reminded me of the one I attended in France. However, I knew exactly where God wanted me to go despite all of this: the one where I had no intention of going to, but it was the only place where all the conditions I had presented before God were met. One of my childhood friends compared me to Jonas when she realised how stubborn I was! I was still determined to obey God, regardless of my misunderstandings, and I had made a choice which came with many repercussions even to this day!

It started when I was filled with a joy so immeasurable, which lasted for at least 3 weeks! I didn't really understand where it came from for some time. Then, one day, during a Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit (mentioned in Galatians 5:22), we had talked about joy that comes from God. And the Pastor listed everything that can bring forth such a joy in our hearts and he added that obedience to God had a role to do with it as well. I also realised that all that I needed, and even the answers to my old prayers, were found in that church where God directed me in a little over a month.

The problem arose again when I had decided to serve in the church. I had already chosen certain domains where I wanted to invest myself in based on some habits I had developed earlier on, and I avoided other domains in particular because I am often under the impression that I am too invasive (especially when the majority of the people that I meet are involved in this one department). But once again, I put it all into prayer. I was a decision I made in leaving: that my decisions be those of what God wants for my life. So, overtime, my decision-making had changed and, as a friend told me very recently, I finished by letting “God make of me what He wants.” He proves that many meetings in the church pushed me to participate in the worship team even though it was the domain I absolutely wanted to avoid at all costs! I sang for the first time this Sunday of January 20th. And in that moment, I sincerely felt such an unexplainable peace and the same joy that I have spoken of earlier on. I had the impression that God was rejoicing at my side, because I was obeying Him in the decision, and I was so pleased to have Him there.

This was all to say that obeying God can cost us much and may require us to surrender our own will in exchange for his. But in the end, when you put it under his control, there is no greater happiness! So, today it is upto to you on whether or not you choose to obey His will for your life. I cannot promise you that all the experiences mentioned above will pan out the exact same way in your life. I cannot assure you that it will always be easy, because you must often push aside your own will in order to make room for the Father's to fully manifest in your life. But it is for the better!

My experiences are very personal based on my sensitivity and character. But I do not believe you will necessarily feel sadness when looking into what it is God wants for your life, and in obeying Him. This allows you to be more humble and to make more room for God in your heart and life, as He occupies more of our being and as we diminish more and more.

I wish you a wonderful week,
May God guide you,
Do 😊


Translated by Jane

P.S : Here's a song that spoke to my soul a lot, I wish it released earlier, it would have avoid some struggles I just mentioned.