How well do you obey when you are told to do something? Is your initial reaction to rebel? Do you work harder at making excuses for not obeying than it would take to simply complete the task? Do you quickly take on the task, but fail to complete it? Or do you complete it as requested?
We are all given orders by someone. There is no escaping it. We work for someone who works for someone who works for someone. Orders come down the chain of command or line of bosses. Some orders are simple while others are very complex.
If there was not a hierarchy in our workplaces, could you imagine the chaos? We would all do what we thought was right and nothing would be accomplished. You see, we naturally migrate toward a hierarchical system. We either long for someone to tell us what to do or we become a leader and tell others what to do. There must be organization to accomplish tasks, especially large tasks.
Jesus flattens the organization. He tells us to keep His commands. Where does He get His commands? From the Father. There is no other. What is the purpose of His commands? To make our joy complete. How do we keep His commands? By remaining in His love.
Isn’t that amazing? As long as we remain in Jesus’ love, which is done by keeping His commands, our joy becomes complete. Seems simple, doesn’t it? But we all know it isn’t so simple. We have our own goals in life. We want what we want, not what someone else wants, meaning we disobey Jesus’ commands.
The most honored leaders our country has ever experienced were people who had an aura about them. They naturally commanded respect and love without ever asking for it. Their orders were obeyed willingly. They accomplished great things. Jesus is the same.
We cannot see Jesus in the flesh right now. That makes it a bit harder to follow Him. Yet, if we read His Word much like we would a great leader’s guidance from our past and follow it, we show our love for Him, and our joy is made complete. It is simply yet not easy.
I pray we all commit to obeying Jesus’ commands. I pray we remain in His love. I pray each one of us reads Jesus’ Word and follow Him as the great Leader His is. Obey Jesus. Remain in His love. Make your joy complete. Show His love to others.
John 15:10-11 “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Marty Pressey 