Trust And Obey

Helen Francis

Whilst on the retreat in France earlier this year we pondered different aspects on the biblical theme of 'Blessings', but the one I found myself least comfortable with was 'Obedience' - it didn't initially feel like a blessing to me.

Perhaps my doubts stemmed from too heavy an emphasis on wives obeying their husbands’ teaching in my early church experience, (if read in context both parties in a marriage are encouraged to submit to each other). Or maybe it was a throw back to even earlier days when my four older brothers were allowed get away with all sorts, whereas I was expected to be a good girl and do as I was told.

I can't pin down exactly where my discomfort with obedience began, but now I was being asked to see it in a different light. Then I remembered a study we once did into the Hebrew for obedience, and entangled in its meaning is the idea of worship, putting quite a different slant on it. By being obedient to what God asks of me, I am worshipping Him - and I have no difficulty seeing worship as a blessing, so why not obedience?

Lines from the old song ‘Trust and Obey’ came to mind: 'Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey'. It certainly seems to be viewed as a blessing in these lines.

As I mulled things over, I remembered a bible lesson from a long time ago on Proverbs 3:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3: 5-6

We talk about blind obedience as a bad thing and it probably is in some circumstances, but what the lesson pointed out was that God has only our best interests at heart, so obeying Him, even when we don't understand, can only bring benefits. Obey first, the understanding will come later it advised.

So I put this into practice when I needed a Victorian dress for a themed ball. I hadn't enough money to buy or hire one, so I went to a remnants shop and bought navy lining material and a wedding dress pattern that looked suitably Victorian. I had little previous experience of sewing, but I figured if I just obeyed the instructions it would work out.

I was astonished when I produced a lined dress with sweetheart neckline, a full length zip up the back and a hooped skirt (pictured below). I didn't even like sewing!

Hopefully this insight into my internal wrestling with the concept of obedience as a blessing encourages you through the coming week - to see your acts of obedience as worship to God, and that they are blessings to you.