"Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him." (1 Samuel 15:22).
Obedience is normally understood as the submission to the authority of someone else. But this obedience has a mysterious power that very few people know. In this post, Catholic Front, opens up to you how obedience can give you real power over those who have power over you, and how, even, God submits to your obedience.
1. POWER AND OBEDIENCE
The English language dictionary defines power as:
(1) The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way. By virtue of this definition one needs power to obey. And the power of obedience comes from love and humility. So mathematically stated: Obedience ÷ Love + Humility..
(2) The capacity or ability to direct or to influence the actions and behaviour of others or the course of events. By virtue of this definition obedience has the power to influence the actions of God and other people (one's superiors, subordinates and observers) to the one's own favor. So, mathematically stated: Favor ÷ Request + Obedience.
Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants. Thus the right to choose to do what one wishes - anyhow, anywhere and anytime – is one of the priceless values of modern society.
But in every community and in all circles rules and obligations are imposed on the individual; and so those how over value their freedom have no real place in the human society. Infact, freedom can not be to do whatever one wants to do but, only to act freely within the limits of divine, natural and civic laws and regulations. (1 Corinthians 6:12). Therefore, obedience is indispensable to the life and coexistence of all human beings.
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OBEDIENCE IS POWER |
2. ESSENCE OF OBEDIENCE
"The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: "He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death - his death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name." (Philippians 2:5-9).
Obedience is the submission (humility) to love (God); and this is the testimony of Christ as the Son of God. He is the one whom we, called Christians, are called to imitate. Obedience is active and passive. It is active when we do what is prescribed to be done and passive when we do not do what we are prohibited from doing.
Therefore, by doing what is commanded by God, law, duty and legitimate authority, we prove that we love God. As a reward, God will love us, and and makes us his legitimate children, by revealing himself to us - in this way we become part of his glorious being right from this present life. (John 1:10, 12; 14:23).
3. MOTIVES FOR OBEDIENCE
The source of every good law or authority is from God. The fundamental purpose of laws is, therefore, to organize the human society, or to regulate or sanction human behavior and activity, for the well-being of one and of all. The one who obeys the law is, therefore, either the first or the final beneficiary of the law. So for this reason obedience should not come by the means of force or the fear of punishment. Rather, it should be motivated by the recognition of the law as the instrument of justice, harmony and well-being, and out of love for oneself, for others and for God. On the other hand, laws which are contrary to the divine commandments, or that oppose natural justice, harmony and collective well-being, do not come from God, and must be repealed and replaced by God- inspired laws.
4. OBJECTS OF OBEDIENCE
(i) The first person to whom we owe obedience is God – the Creator of the universe and all human beings (Exodus 19: 5) the commandments of God are contained in the book of Exodus, Chapter 20, in verse 1 to 17. The bible contains the revealed teachings of God which are binding on the believers. Even unbelievers are not free from the laws of God because to ignore the scriptures is to disobey God and, so, to face judgment (John 12: 48)
(ii) We have a duty to obey our parents, teacher’s superiors and employers, and all those who exercise legitimate authority, competence or expertise. (Exodus 20:12).
(iii) We have also a duty to obey our conscience - that subtle sense (or voice) that tells us whether our action are right or wrong, and gives us a feeling of guilt when we do something wrong or fail to do the right thing.
(iv) Apart from divine laws, there are also man-made laws and regulations which organize the various domains of human life and activity. They include family, civil, criminal, commercial laws etc. Such laws are objects of obedience in as much as they are made for the general good of the society.
(v) Finally, we owe obedience to life itself and to nature. To sustain life we must obey natural laws governing our bodies and the environment in which we live. They include laws of hygiene, sanitation, healthy feeding, physical exercise and of the preservation of the environment. If we violate the laws of nature we may destroy life, by the exchange of vital elements in the ecosystem.
5. ADVANTAGES OF OBEDIENCE
"Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse - a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today." (Deuteronomy 11:26-27).
(i) Obedience is the foundation of order, peace and harmony in every family, group or community.
(ii) The obedience to rules of laws brings progress, prosperity, safety, security and well-being to oneself and to others.
(iii) Obedience spares one of punishment and pain, and enhances their real freedom and happiness.
(iv) Obedience attracts the love and favor of God, superiors and benefactors. it also enhances our dignity in the society and profits us for eternal life in heaven.
(v) Obedience to God frees us from sin, suffering and damnation, and brings us the benefits of God's salvation - blessings, healing, deliverance, restoration, peace and happiness. (Deuteronomy 28: 1- 14).
(vi) Obedience to the conscience enables us to do the right thing, at the right time and at the right place. A holy conscience is guided by the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth. (John 15:26).
(vii) The respect of nature helps to protect the environment and natural resources and to sustain life.
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6. EFFECTS OF DISOBEDIENCE
"Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king.”" (1 Samuel 15:23)
(i) The disobedience to God is the origin of all pain, suffering and death (Genesis 3: 1 -19).
(ii) The disobedience to God, parents and legitimate authorities causes disorders, harm and sufferings to oneself and to others. (Deuteronomy 28: 15- 68)
(iii) Disobedience leads to the breakdown of law and order. This, therefore, causes disharmony and conflicts in the society, which hinders progress and prosperity.
(iv) The violation of laws may be the source of indignity, dislike, failure, illness, accidents and, even, unnatural death.
(v) The disobedience to natural laws may cause the destruction of the environment, disrupt the ecosystem and exterminate life, as a whole.
7. OBSTACLES TO OBEDIENCE
(i) The ignorance of laws or regulations and their motives are major obstacles to obedience. So catechism, evangilisation, education and counseling can bring many people to obey.
(ii) Pride makes their victims to feel that they are above everyone. That is why they disregard (scorn) every authority and rule in the society, especially, when it does not favour them. But if you show contempt for rules and to authority you will sooner or later be humbled by the consequences of your own behaviors.
(iii) The imitation of others and group pressure are other obstacles to obedience. People in some groups may disobey laws or authority in the society not because they like to do so but to align with the behaviors of the majority or to carry their group identity. Also people may copy the behaviors of others because they find that the later are violating rules with impurity. Nevertheless, whether you disobey in imitation of others or because of group solidarity you will face the consequences of your behaviour all alone. They may seem not so imminent or even appear not to exist, but when they get "ripe" they will fall on your face.
(iv) Selfishness is another major obstacle to obedience. Selfish people think only of themselves and they do not care whether in pursuing their interests (goals) they violate rules or undermine authority. But to violate rules is to start a chain reaction, and even when you are not punished (penalized), you can not totally exempt yourself from the consequence of your unlawful actions and omissions.
(v) Wickedness is a fundamental obstacle to obedience. It comes from people who are so evil that they oppose every rule of law and legitimate authority. They, rather, seek the state of anarchy in which they can use their power to rob and to harm others. These are the real enemies of the society, and only prayer and punishment can bring them to obedience.
The importance of obedience cannot be overemphasized; for unlimited freedom and the contempt for law and authority are two wide lanes on the highway to decadence, death and damnation. Life, peace and fulfillment can only thrive where obedience has become the rule rather than the exception.
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Thought of the Week
"Freedom without restraint is like a mad horse; it can throw off its rider at any time" (Whispers of Wisdom by Aying Godman)
Author: Aying Godman, is a Catechist, Evangelist & Blogger of the Roman Church; Founder of CATHOLIC FRONT MEDIA™
Email: ayinggodman@gmail.com
Bible texts from the Good News Translation (GNT), (c) 1992 American Bible Society
Copyright (c) Aying Godman - Catholic Front Media (2021-2022) All rights reserved.
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