“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2–3).
Do you like being told what to do? Probably not, at least not always. Do you ever feel like your parents, teachers, or coaches or your older brothers or sisters tell you to do things just for you to do them with no reason? An older brother or sister might do that, but parents, teachers, and coaches probably wouldn’t. They have a special reason for telling you what to do, even if you don’t know what the reason is. And usually that reason is for your good.
Some people think God commands us to do something or to not do something just to tell us what to do. They seem to think He just likes giving orders and being the boss. “God doesn’t want us to have any fun,” they may say. So they disobey God. They can’t see any reason to do what He tells them. But they think that way because they don’t really understand God.
God doesn’t give us instructions just to be bossy. His desire is to do us good. And every one of His instructions (or commandments) is for that reason. You see, God made us and knows everything about us. He knows what is good for us and what isn’t. And He wants good for us. That’s why He gives us instructions. He knows if we obey them, we will live better lives and develop better character traits than if we disobey them.
So the next time you read or hear an instruction from God, remember it is not there to make your life hard. It’s there for your good, even if you can’t see how it could be good for you. Just obey from your heart, and you will see the goodness of God’s instructions.
My response:
» How do I respond when I read or hear one of God’s instructions?
» Do I remember God’s instructions are for my good?
» Do I obey them immediately and cheerfully?