Obedience From the Heart.

"God, are You serious? Do You really want me to send that text? I don't really want to, but I know I need to be obedient. Please help me do it. Amen."

This is a prayer I find myself praying more often than I'd like to admit.

There are times when God asks me to do something that I honestly don't want to do. In fact, I prayed this very prayer recently. I knew what God was asking of me, but my feelings didn't line up with His direction. Still, I knew obedience mattered.

But here's something God has been teaching me: it's not just whether we obey that matters—it's how we obey. Our heart posture matters too.

Hey everyone! It's your girl Julie, back with another segment of “Salty & Lit.” Today we're talking about obedience from the heart.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, obedience from the heart matters to You. Teach us to understand that and forgive us for the ways in which we haven’t acted in alignment with Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

1. Obedience from the Heart Matters

In Romans 6:17 (NASB), Paul writes: "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted."

Paul is talking about believers who have responded to the gospel and now live according to God's truth. But notice that he doesn't simply say they became obedient—he says they became obedient from the heart.

There's a difference.

Obedience from the heart isn't just doing something because someone told you to do it. It's choosing to obey because you believe what you've been told and trust the One who said it.

As Christians, our obedience should flow from our trust in God. We align our attitudes and actions with His Word because we believe He is good and His plans are better than our own.

When we consistently resist God's direction, we're often revealing something deeper: we're struggling to trust Him fully. Our actions can expose what our hearts truly believe.

So how do we grow in wholehearted obedience?

Let's look at Psalm 51.

David writes this psalm after the prophet Nathan confronts him about his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. After committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging for Uriah to be killed in battle to cover up his sin, David is broken before the Lord and cries out for mercy.

Near the end of his prayer, David asks God to "sustain me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12, NASB). The NLT phrases it this way: "Make me willing to obey You."

Sometimes we don't naturally want to obey God. But instead of pretending we do, we can honestly ask Him to change our hearts. We can ask Him to give us the willingness and desire to obey Him in every circumstance.

2. Obedience Reveals Who Is Lord of Your Life

One thing I've heard Stephanie Ike say that has always stuck with me is that many Christians gladly accept Jesus as Savior but struggle to make Him Lord.

That's a challenging thought.

When Jesus is Lord, our lives are no longer our own. We surrender our plans, desires, and preferences to Him, trusting that His way is better than ours.

Does that mean it's always easy? Absolutely not.

There are still moments when I want to do what I want instead of what God is asking. But following Jesus means denying ourselves daily and allowing Him to lead.

That's part of what we agreed to when we chose to follow Christ.

As Galatians 2:20 reminds us, our lives now belong to Him. We no longer live for ourselves—we live for Christ.

So here's a question to consider:

Who are you living for?

Are you living to bring yourself glory, or are you living to glorify Christ?

3. Obedience Demonstrates Trust

At its core, obedience is an act of trust.

When you obey God from the heart, you're saying, "Lord, I trust You more than I trust myself."

You're trusting that His wisdom is greater than yours, His timing is better than yours, and His plans are ultimately for your good and His glory.

So here's my encouragement:

Ask yourself, Do I trust God the way I say I do?

Then ask Him to reveal any areas where you're holding back your obedience. Invite Him to grow your trust and give you a willing heart to follow Him wherever He leads.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for showing us that obedience from the heart matters. Teach us to number our days and obey You in every circumstance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

That’s all I have for today! Don’t forget these three things: you are loved, salty, and lit! Talk to you soon! 🧡