Obedience: God’s love language
1 John 5:3{MSG}
“The proof that we love God comes when we keep His commandments, and they are not at all troublesome”
In every relationship, communication is key. Love languages help us understand how to express love in ways that truly matter to the other person. When it comes to our relationship with God, obedience is His love language.
Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). What He was talking about here isn’t just about rules—it’s about intimacy. It is God telling you how He wants to be loved per time and per season.
Throughout Scripture, we see how God gave specific instructions to people based on their journey. To Abraham, the test of His love was first to trust God and leave his father’s house, later, it was to sacrifice the son he had waited for so long to have.
To Peter, it was to feed Christ’ sheep. To Joseph, it was to take Mary as his wife not minding the scandal.
It proves that obedience is personal because it is about aligning with who God knows you are becoming.
The Very Crust of our Walk with God
“In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”
Eph 2 vs 2{NKJV}
At the very core of our relationship with God lies obedience.
To disobey God is to reject Him; to obey Him is to accept His Lordship. There is no neutral ground—if you are not walking in obedience to God, you are inevitably obeying the desires of the flesh.
This truth has been evident from the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, the fall of man was a result of disobedience. God had given a clear instruction, and when man disobeyed, the intimacy that once existed between man and his God was broken.
Obedience flows from a surrendered heart, so, If we say that we genuinely revere God, there are certain choices and actions we simply cannot yield to. A heart yielded in obedience will be able to clearly discern the will and the movement of God.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Obedience is not optional—it is what qualifies us as His sheep. We don’t just hear; we follow.
The moment you said “Yes” to Jesus, you accepted Him as the Lord of your life, and the truest way to demonstrate that someone is your Lord is to let them lead while you follow. Obedience is the ultimate test of growth in our spiritual walk—when we lay down our own desires to embrace His, trusting not only His Lordship but also His Fatherhood.
Also, in obedience, faith is made perfect. It takes faith to trust God’s instructions, especially when they go against our natural desires.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
Beyond mere action; it is a posture of the heart that says, “Lord, I trust You more than I trust myself.” and believing that every instruction is a step toward transformation.
Sacrifices and Rewards
To obey is better than sacrifice{1 Sam 15:22}- it requires sacrifice, patience, and a heart that depends on God every step of the way. It is a journey that demands that we stay close enough to hear Him at every turn.
Think of Joseph. He chose to marry Mary even though people would talk. He listened to God, kept the baby Jesus safe, and followed every instruction from the Lord. This ensured the plan of God for our redemption and reconciliation was protected.
Ultimately, obedience positions you to be a vessel through which God’s purposes are fulfilled and each time you obey, you learn to let go of your own way and become the person God sees in you.
The best of what God has planned for you is found on the path of obedience– So, as much as obedience honors God, it also benefits us.
Everyone we admire in the Bible or our world today has paid the price of obeying even when they didn’t know what would happen. That’s what obedience looks like—taking the next step, trusting God one day at a time.
You must understand that life happens in seasons, and each season comes with something God wants to do in you or through you. Obedience is the key that opens the door to the next season.
Until you do what God told you to do, that transition that you desire may never happen. It may seem like you are making progress, but eventually, you will realize you’ve only been going around in circles.
When your desire is to obey him completely, He will help you by His Spirit. He will strengthen your heart, and when you yield, He will make you a message to your world.
It won’t be easy from the beginning, but slowly He will teach you, until obedience to God becomes something you no longer struggle with- birth out of love for Him.
“It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).