As I reflect on the Christmas story, I realize how Joseph and Mary are powerful examples of people who trusted in the Lord and obeyed Him no matter what the cost to their personal comforts. When it seemed that Mary had been unfaithful to him, Joseph chose to believe the voice of the Lord “that which was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit.” Even though Mary did understand how her baby could be the Son of God born through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary’s immediate response was to offer herself as the Lord’s servant. At that point Mary didn’t know how Joseph would have responded to her news but she was determined to do the Lord’s will regardless of the consequences. They both didn’t allow fears of what other people would think to deter them from obeying God.

I long to have the same reaction to the Lord’s direction in my life. Too often obedience is not my first response.  More often than not I consider the cost of obedience before I humble myself as a servant to the Lord. I struggle to remember that I am not my own; I have been saved at the high cost of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for my sin and I now belong to Him.

How can we grow in the quickness of our obedience?

It is by growing in our love for and trust in Christ. It is through looking full into the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The more we know of His goodness and kindness, the more we will be confident that obedience to Jesus always leads to what is best, even in the hard seasons of life.

The Bible is clear that if we love God, we will obey Him in ever-increasing ways. His commands will continue to become a delight to us for we will know that they truly lead us to a more abundant life, because sin’s pleasures are always fleeting.  We are blessed when we hear God’s word and obey it.

In our struggles with obedience, may we look to the One who perfectly obeyed. This is what we celebrate at Christmas, Jesus took on human flesh and lived the life we aren’t able to. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient even when it meant enduring the horrors of the cross so that God and humanity could be reconciled. For the joy set before Him, mainly God’s glory and our salvation, Jesus died on the cross and rose again.  Because of this glorious truth, we can know the blessings of obedience; and when we fail to obey, we can experience the blessings of His forgiveness!