where obedience comes from...

Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?"

Jesus uttered these words after the infamous beatitudes. The subject of obedience is a tough one. Even the most disciplined follower of Christ will find themselves sooner or later actually disobeying the Lord in some perspective or another. Whether it is loving God with all your heart, soul and mind, or loving your neighbor as yourself... Everyone falls short. I believe there is a relationship between the order in which Jesus makes these statements. The attitudes of our heart will lead to obedience and disobedience. So often we get caught up in a performance mentality and focus on our behavior, good and bad. We seldom focus on the attitudes of the heart that birth good and bad behavior. The condition of the heart will determine the quality of the attitudes of the heart. So each day should not begin with "Am I doing the right thing?" It should begin with, "What's the true condition of my heart right now?" "What attitudes are predominate in my heart?" To focus prayerfully at the beginning and end of each day with such self-inquiry helps you make the appropriate adjustments that leads to an obedient life unto the Lord. This directly impacts our worship and fellowship with the Lord because our belief and action are one. We are practicing what we preach. If we want to be obedient we need to know where obedience comes from. The source of obedience is a clean heart full of healthy attitudes toward God and others. The nice thing about attitudes is that they can altered, abandoned, changed. Make the necessary changes in your heart and experience being an obedient servant who freely without guilt or hypocrisy can call Him Lord.