Coffee Talk Wednesday

When Obedience Becomes Radical

Today is week 3 of our Coffee Talk and we are on chapter 3 (neat how that works, but pay attention because we are going to be changing things up soon).

Lysa challenges us to become radical in our obedience to God.

Be Holy (1 Peter 1:13-16)

3Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

I am going to write this verse down and leave it in several places so that I can write it on my heart. I want to prepare my mind for action and self-control is something I strive for as well. I don’t want to conform nor do I want to live in ignorance any longer. I want to be holy in all I do. Wow, that’s a tall order. It certainly is radical.

Lysa talks about the Lord instructing her to turn off the television. (There is more too but I’m not going to give it all away here).

We made that same choice about two years ago. A lot of people see that as being radical. I’m not against television. I enjoy movies and we do occasionally watch a movie or play a video game, but we have, as a family, become very intentional about it. Now watching a movie is an event, a special time together and we are very selective with what we watch. A lot of my friends and family don’t understand it but that’s okay. I am not sitting on my holy high horse saying, “television is evil”. It was, we felt, instruction from God for our family and we were obedient.

Lysa talks about God stirring in your heart to give up something, either permanently or for a season. In studying this it almost seemed like baby steps, it’s a lot easier to give something up that you already have then it is to take a step into the unknown. We had television, we knew what watching t.v. was like, so by giving it up we were letting it go and I think that is a wise place to start if you want your obedience to become radical. Take that first step by looking at your life, your habits, and your day-to-day living and ask God what is good and what is best. God only wants what is best for His children and that may require us to give up something that, to us, is good but to God is not nearly as good as His plans for us.

A lot of our discussion last night revolved around a four-letter word, FEAR. Scriptures dealing with fear and how to overcome fear weave in and out of the Bible. Perhaps because God knew that just telling His children one time wasn’t going to be enough. Almost everything that comes against us has it’s root in fear. What is God laying on your heart? What has He challenged you with doing that you just haven’t been able to say yes to yet and why? What is holding you back?

One of the statements in Lysa’s book is, “ We need not fear what our obedience will cause to happen in our life. We should only fear what our disobedience will cause us to miss.”

I know I have missed out on God’s best due to fear time and time again. I’m not willing to settle for that anymore. I want the best for my children. I don’t want fear to keep my kids from following God’s leading, so it’s time to face my own fear(s) and know that my Father is with me no matter what.  As long as I am walking with Him, I am headed in the right direction and that’s the best place of all to be.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Your love and desire for us to be all that You created us to be overwhelms me at times. I want to be radically obedient and follow close behind you Father. I want to see You in my day to day life. I want to hear Your voice and know Your will because I know that You only want what is best for me. Thank You for all You have given me and help me to discern what is Your best in my life. Amen.