Success is Obedience

April 20, 2023

Here is where we keep it real. This is a Devotional for women and girls like me, and can I be honest with you, today I was distracted. I did not read as much as I wanted and what I did read, didn't stick. This is about consistency, I can read more when I get home, but if I skip a day on this journey, one day will turn to two, two will turn to seven, and I will forget what I was even writing this for. I did however give that podcast another listen, in addition to finishing another one. To stay on track sometimes it is more feasible to do an audiobook, or a podcast, but always make sure you are filling your cup. Especially if you are in the process of diluting trauma and in the process of renewing your mind. We spoke about what obedience was not in the last section. Today we will speak about what obedience is in this section. Obedience is many things, but for the sake of this devotional and what we are studying, obedience is success, and success is obedience.

Success is obedience.

I'm exploring what it means to be obedient to God for two main reasons: to develop a better, closer relationship with my Lord and Saviour, and to help me achieve my goals. With that respect, I'm exploring obedience so it will benefit me at the highest level. After watching the podcast, I had a shift in perspective. What does success really mean? What does it look like?

I don't know how all of you came up but I will give you some insight into where I'm coming from. Where I grew up, how I grew up, success looked like things. A nice car, you made it if you could get a luxury vehicle. A nice house, a gated community, definitely one with a pesky HOA that you can complain about because life is so good you have to find something wrong. upper 5 or even 6 figure salary, we are not going to go into the money trauma, we will save that story for another devotional on finances, cause I need that too. Where I come from success should look enviable.

Success is obedience.

What I'm learning is that's worldly success, and there isn't anything wrong with that, God wants us to live life abundantly. However, that is a life path that doesn't require God to step in, it doesn't require us to walk in faith. When you feel like you got it on your own, God will not bless that. There is a reason so many "successful" people feel unfulfilled in their lives, and there is a reason they say money doesn't buy happiness. It's not necessarily that it doesn't buy happiness, because I'd rather cry in a Benz, than in a Toyota, but no amount of money will help you find and fulfill your purpose.

In the eyes of God, success is obedience. You move when he tells you to move, even when it doesn't make sense. You stay put when He tells you to stay put, and you do it with grace and patience. In the last section I mentioned asking God what the next step was, he may not reveal the entirety of His plans for you, but He does that with most people. Taking that next step in obedience, and not taking another until he says so, that is success. It seemed weird to me, not having the tangible markers of a successful person, but we have to give up the life we want for ourselves in order to walk in the life, in the purpose, God has for us. Don't try keeping up with the Joneses, most of them are flexing for the gram anyway. Live your life knowing that God has something great in store for you.

What's next?

I have been doing a short 5-day plan in the Bible app entitled "Success is Obedience". It's a quick 5-minute snack (I call it a snack because the Bible is like food for our soul, and by no means is this 5-minute lesson a meal) that will open your eyes to some concepts and examples in which success wasn't tangible, but the faith was there. If you are looking for more biblical examples of success, start there