In a society that inflates self-reliance and individual freedom, being submissive and obedient has become a foreign concept. But, as Christians, that is exactly what we are called to do.

What does “obedience” mean? At its Latin root, obedience, or oboedire, means to “be subject,” “listen,” and “submit.” Throughout the Scriptures, God makes it obvious that this obedience is an essential aspect of pursuing a relationship with Him. In the beginning, it was Adam and Eve’s lack of obedience that led to the fall of man. In Exodus, the Israelites’ lack of obedience and trust in God kept them from entering the Promised Land. From the very first pages of God’s word, we learn the crucial nature of obedience.

There are ample examples throughout the Bible of people disobeying God. In 2 Samuel, David failed to obey God by taking Bathsheba, another man’s wife. What caused David, a man after God’s own heart, to so grossly disobey the Lord? As Nathan the prophet explained, David showed a lack of gratitude for what God had given him:

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9).

God had given David everything and more, yet David still took what was not his. Not only was he lacking in gratefulness, but David’s attention was not on God. How can we obey God if He does not have our attention? How can we obey Him if we do not recognize that He is good and fulfills His promises?

Our obedience to God requires us to give Him our attention and to recognize how He has blessed our lives. Our obedience also takes sacrifice. Sacrifice should not be easy. Although we may not live by the old covenant standard of sacrificing livestock, are we willing to give up our favorite evening show or sports game for time with God? “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 17:1). God doesn’t want our leftovers; He wants every best part of us. A relationship with God requires sacrifices that cost. It requires sacrificing our time, our temptations, and our desires at the altar because our Creator wants to have relationships with the children He created.

God doesn’t require us to obey Him blindly. He has, mercifully, given us evidence and reason to trust and heed His commands. “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed” (Joshua 23:14). God’s strength and deliverance are daily on display for us in His word and in our lives.

So how do we obey God? There are multiple steps for us to take in order to obey God in our everyday life and nurture our relationship with Him. Most importantly, we must center our life on communication with God. Like David, we cannot take our attention off of the Lord. When He loses our attention, we leave space for sin and temptation to become our focus. So to give God our attention and obedience, we must sacrifice our time to Him through intentional daily prayer and reading of the Scriptures (Ephesians 6:17-19).

We have the means of directly communicating with the Creator of the universe — why would we not take advantage of that? He also gave us the Living Word that is infallible and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God’s word, although centuries old, still speaks to us today and equips us for teaching others and defending ourselves from temptation (Psalm 119:105).

We also practice obedience through being doers of God’s word, not just readers. Because God’s word still speaks to us today, it should create a response within us (Hebrews 4:12). It changes our perspective by shedding light on our behavior and pushing us to hold ourselves accountable for our words and actions.

But our obedience should not just be an obligation — a box to check each day. Our obedience must be reverent. Recalling God’s blessings, reading His word, praying, worshipping, fasting, serving, and being in community help cultivate a heart of admiration and respect towards our Lord. Our obedience shows God our deep love and desire for intimacy with Him. Our obedience is a testimony to others of how God has changed us and called us to a life above sin and temptation. Our obedience leads to God’s blessing, which comes in ways we may never imagine.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).