How to Walk in Obedience to God

Walking in obedience to God can seem like a tall order! But it is actually quite simple. Let’s dive into God’s word to get a better understanding of how to walk in obedience to Him.

What Is Obedience Exactly?

In order to walk in obedience to God, we must first understand what obedience is.

The word “obedience” is defined as “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority (Oxford Languages).”

What is Obedience to God?

For Christians, this definition becomes, “compliance with God’s orders, requests, or laws or submission to God’s authority.” And obedience to God has two parts. One, we are to obey His general commands to all mankind–things like the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and love God, love people (Matthew 22:37-39). And, two, we are to obey commands He gives to us as individuals – like start a faith blog or adopt this child (a couple examples from my own life).

God doesn’t demand our obedience (He did give us free will, after all), but He does show us how we can walk in obedience to Him if we so choose. Throughout His word, we can find tidbits of wisdom that help us learn exactly what we can do to be sure we are obeying Him in all we do. Let’s take a look!

7 Ways Everyone Can Walk in Obedience to God

Sometimes we get caught up in trying to figure out the specific ways God wants us to live out His will in our lives and forget that there are general things we all can do to walk in obedience to Him. Being intentional about obeying in these general areas brings us into a deeper relationship with God, which will lead to hearing His voice more clearly about other things He wants each of us specifically to do.

Develop a Desire to Do What Pleases God

To get started obeying God, it is important to make sure we have the correct heart posture. God doesn’t want us to obey out of obligation or with a bad attitude, so let’s see how we can develop a willing spirit.

Reflect on Who God Is and What He’s Done for You

“I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions.” Psalms 119:55

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” Psalms 51:12

I especially like Psalms 51:12. When I consider the pure joy that comes from knowing that nothing we experience here on earth matters in light of eternity, I am much more likely to happily do what God wants me to do, even if it makes me uncomfortable for a little while.

Psalms 105 demonstrates this concept perfectly. It starts with a summary of all the things God had done for His people, the Israelites. Then it tells us that all of this happened so that they would want to be obedient.

Understand God’s Love for You

Having a desire to obey God begins with understanding that He loves us deeply–way more deeply than we can ever comprehend. Everything He says, whether in His word or in our hearts, relates to this truth in one way or another. This includes all of the times He tells us what He wants us to do.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Know That God Wants What’s Best for You

Loving parents know that if their kids make the right choices, they will have better lives. Therefore, parents train their kids by helping them see how their choices affect their lives. Likewise, God gave us all of His wisdom, some in the form of commands and decrees and laws, to help us make good choices, and, therefore, have a better life.

“And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:13

“For if we obey Him, everything will turn out well for us.” Jeremiah 42:6b

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8

{Related: Learn what it means to meditate on God’s word in “Taking up the Sword of the Spirit.”}

When we really take to heart these three things, it leads to a deep trust in Him. And when we really and truly trust Him, we have no reason to not do what He says to do. We want to seek His will and live it out so that His perfect will is done.

Love God, Love Others

This one pretty much covers all of the other commandments in the whole Bible; therefore, walking in obedience to God can pretty much be achieved just by focusing on these two commandments.

“Jesus replied, ‘”You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”‘” Matthew 22:37-39

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Walk the Walk, Don’t Just Talk the Talk

Revelation 3:16 tells us that God doesn’t tolerate lukewarm believers. Lukewarm believers are those who are indifferent, not caring about God and His ways one way or another. They might go through the motions; they might talk the talk, but they don’t walk the true walk of faith. They don’t put their trust in Jesus or let Him operate in and through them.

What’s more, they don’t try to avoid walking in the ways of the world.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves…Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means…refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:22 and 27

“I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.” Psalms 119:101

Obey God in the Right Way

According to the following scriptures, the right way to obey God is wholeheartedly, faithfully, and with integrity.

This means seeking His will constantly and living life according to it. People walking in obedience to God do so with all of their hearts, minds, and spirits, and they do it without wavering. They live lives marked by honesty, character, love, and faith.

“‘Today the Lord your God has commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations. So be careful to obey them wholeheartedly.'” Deuteronomy 26:16

“All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.” Psalms 111:7-8

Teach Others About God

If we truly love others, we should have a desire to teach them about God. The disciples were so good at this (maybe because they learned from the Master)! Even though it can be hard to talk about God, we can walk in obedience to God by following their example with both non-believers and believers. Jesus knew it would be hard; that’s why He reminds us that He will be will us the whole time. <3 <3 <3

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

“‘Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'” Matthew 28:20

The Great Commission fits into this category, too. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells his followers (that’s us!) to go and make disciples. We do this by showing people and teaching people about the love of Jesus.

Fellowship With the Right People

When we want to walk in obedience to God, we must accept that evil people in our lives will be a stumbling block. Like the psalmist who wrote Psalms 119:115, we should avoid spending too much time with people who do not have a desire to obey God, and we should avoid altogether those who are flat-out evil.

“Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God.” Psalms 119:115

“I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.” Psalms 17:4

When we focus on doing what God wants us to do, a natural outcome is not being drawn away from Him by these people. It’s a cycle. Obey God, have Godly friends. Have Godly friends, and you’re more likely to obey God.

Obey God No Matter What

When it comes to walking in obedience to God, we can sometimes act like toddlers being told they can’t have the candy or the toy they really want. I know I have pouted and sulked over the “unfairness” of having to do something hard that I knew God wanted me to do (it may have even been as recently as this morning *grimace*). But, as we can see in the below scriptures, His commands are above those of humans. And we must obey them even if we don’t want to or like it.

“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority.'” Acts 5:29

“Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea.” Jeremiah 42:6a

“I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees.” Psalms 119:83

In ancient times, wineskins were hung to dry near a fire. The smoke would permeate the leather, making it stiffer and easier to drink from. However, if a wineskin hung in the smoke for too long, it would dry out too much, becoming cracked and useless. This psalmist was obviously not in good shape, yet he was still committed to walking in obedience to God.

Summary

Well, there you have it – 7 Ways to Walk in Obedience to God. To sum up…

1. Develop a desire to do what pleases God
2. Love God, and love others
3. Teach others about God
4. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk
5. Obey God in the right way
6. Have the right relationships
7. Obey God no matter what

If you have a desire to walk in obedience to God, but you’re not sure where to start, start with these things! By living a life of obedience, you are drawing closer to God through the process of sanctification (becoming more like Jesus), and letting Him see that you are a willing servant!

By posturing yourself as a willing servant, you are opening up a line of communication through which He can reveal other ways that you, specifically, can help further His kingdom. And that, my friend, is what we’re all about here at Catching Courage!

How will you choose to walk in obedience to God today? Comment below and let us know!

Catch ‘ya later,

{Related: This post is a spin-off from the post “35 Bible Verses About Obeying God.”}

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