Why Obey God?
Eph. 6:5-6: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart (NIV).
Have you ever seen a child who is forced to apologize or say "thank you"? Their rigid posture and monotone voice betrays their real intent. Sometimes our obedience to God takes on a similar tone. It helps to ask ourselves, "Why do I serve the Lord?" Is it to gain His favor, earn His blessings, impress others with our "godliness", or avoid His wrath? Or is it because He commands me to do it?
As we are bombarded with the demands of life on earth, we often lose sight of the eternal perspective. Start your day by recognizing who He is and what He has done. This will help you obey Him not from a robotic sense of duty, but from the overflow of thankfulness that is in your heart. After all, He has already given you the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ. This gift was given to you long before you were able to serve Him in any way.
Obey God because you love Him above all things.
