I've got a bit of a rebellious streak. Something about obeying commands can, at times, rub my craving for independence the wrong way. But Jesus' commands are different. They aren't given out of a desire to control me or use me selfishly, nor to keep me from the perks of life. Jesus isn't grabbing the good stuff for himself and pushing me down.
His commands are meant to bring real joy to my life. That's what he says. Part of what brings that joy is when I understand his commands in the big picture of what he is dreaming into reality for my life and his world. He goes on to say that he doesn't treat us like servants but friends. A master tells his servant to do something without explanation. He doesn't care whether the servant gets the motive or not. It's pure authority and domination. In my experience, sometimes the church comes across that way.
Jesus says he treats us like friends because he lets us become insiders to his business--that is, he is open about his purposes and intentions and motives. Not everything, of course. He reserves the right to alone be in the know about everything. But he gives us the big picture and reveals the amazing things that he is purposing for humanity. Knowing those things puts his commands in a different light. We can discern the motive behind them and see the goodness that he intends through them. They become a joy not a burden. By implication, a person who, in trying to obey the commands of God, finds the joy is sucked away from the tenor of their lives and replaced by anxiety, depression or a propensity to want to judge others, has misunderstood God's commands. Usually, their misunderstanding is the result of failing to grasp the big picture of their master's business.
The joy also comes when we experience the outcomes of living in his will. Having your heart in sync with your Creator who loves you immensely is always joy-producing. And life just works better that way, too. I've seen it countless times in every aspect of life--marriage, parenting, business, relationships, sexuality--you name it. God gives the way to maximize the benefits of all those blessings. Do it your own way and--Ouch!
Obeying the Father's will was sometimes very hard for Jesus. There was sacrifice involved. Just check in with him in the Garden of Gethsemane, minutes after he said this. But in submitting, Jesus discovered the human reality of the amazing joy of being in God's will. And He wants to share his joy with me, he says. The ticket is my loving obedience to my King.
Lord, I am awed by your concern for my joy! You have all the joy in the universe, and you want to share it with me. You want your people to be the most joyful people on earth! When obedience seems hard, even painful, I will recall that deep, full-scale joy will be the pay-off. Since you command out of love, I will obey out of love. Amen.
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