Obedience

December 1, 1979, 5:58 AM

I join you quickly, o son, on this dark morning.  This was the day you promised to begin another month with Me, and, see, here you are.  I did get you started a few days early… for My own purposes.  When I call you are to be obedient.  That is a fundamental message and premise of life with Me.

Now, since you know that I can influence your mind (anyone’s mind, truly) it is fair to ask why it is sometimes easy and pleasant to obey and other times difficult… nearly impossible.  As with most things, it is partly you and partly Me.  I want obedience, but if I force it or make it too easy then it really isn’t true obedience.  On the other hand, if I “stay out” completely or make it difficult I may lose some service that I desire.  Even need.  (Yes, I do have needs.)

With some people… and groups of people… obedience is quite natural and expected.  A good slave is obedient.  This is the way to the best that life can offer.  You have some of that acceptance of obedience, but also a strong streak of independence, which belies obedience.  Thus, you are a challenge.  And your sons are like unto you… but even a bit more independent.

The challenge is to bring forth the obedience that I desire without injuring the independence which also is useful to Me.  I don’t see this as a problem to solve, but an everpresent challenge.  You, and others, may feel, naively, that “it is easy to be God”.  Well, it has its challenges and this one of obedience is one of the mightiest.

Does it make any difference if you are not obedient?  It can.  I do “give up” on some souls, others need to suffer the consequences of disobedience as the basis for truly desiring to be obedient.  But I guess, in honesty, I must say that I forgive a lot of non-obedience.  The prayer I would have you say could go “Forgive us our lack of obedience as we forgive those who are not obedient to us.”  If you really took that seriously it would give you pause when you demanded obedience of others – even a son (as you are to Me.)

Yes, it is as much a challenge to you, in your limited realm, as it is to Me in My limitless arena.  Obedience is pleasing when it comes naturally and voluntarily.  When it doesn’t come this way (1) I can wait patiently for it to arise this way  (2) I can force it so that the task is done but the obedience is not true, or (3) I can use an artful combination of pressure and patience, coercion and calm to have you do what I would have you do.

As I have told you before (and this has an analogue in your professional field) often I am not much concerned with what you do – with the content of the action.  I may be more concerned with how you are toward Me as you do whatever you do.  That is, the process of your life.  The way you are rather than what you do.

There is nothing vital or eternal about what you do this day in this teaching assignment.  But it is another opportunity to “be Me” as the events develop.  As you are in Christ so you become more so.  As you are obedient it becomes clearly “a better way”.  But it works the other way, too.  As your actions represent other than Me, these can more easily predominate.  I shall guide you away from this, but I still will “leave you you”.