True obedience does not begin with the ear, but with the heart.
A person may hear many holy words and still remain unchanged if he does not allow truth to enter within him. Obedience is not merely receiving a command, but opening the soul to God’s will.
The world sees obedience as a loss of freedom, but the spiritual person discovers that obedience to God frees him from slavery to his own will. When a person wants to be the only master of his life, he often becomes a servant of his own passions. When he entrusts his will to God, he finds true peace.
Christ showed us the path of obedience not only through His words, but through His entire life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, in the midst of suffering, He prayed: “Not My will, but Yours, be done.” Through this perfect offering of the human will to the Father, He healed humanity’s disobedience.
Every day we have small opportunities for obedience: to endure a difficult word, to forgive when we are hurt, to do good when we do not feel like it, to pray when the mind wanders. Through these small acts of self-denial, the heart is formed for greater obedience.
Do not be afraid to entrust your life to God. He does not take away what is truly yours, but cleanses what prevents you from becoming what you were created to be.
“To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
