Joyful Obedience

I recently read of a young lady who came to Christ at a Christian Crusade in Spain. The young woman’s prayer included a request for God to help her obey Him with joy. She didn’t merely desire obedience. She sought joyful obedience.

Obedience

In John 14:15, Jesus tells His disciples, If you love Me, keep My commandments. I assumed He meant know His commands and follow through with them. But obedience means more than simply doing what is asked, especially if that obedience is an act of love.

A teacher friend used to tell her students obedience meant doing what they were told to do, when they were told to do it, with a good attitude. I’m sure that was a twist they didn’t see coming. Often young people believe if they do what they’re told to do, they are obedient. But the roll of the eyes or the huff of breath as someone follows directions doesn’t look like willing obedience. And it certainly doesn’t look like love.

A Personal Story

When I was in college, I spent one summer as a counselor at a Christian camp. I enthusiastically did whatever the camp director wanted me to do.

One weekend, we learned the head of the organization sponsoring the camp planned to visit. Following our director’s orders, we prepared for the unexpected guest. Etched in my memory is the excitement I felt as I finished with a task and ran to find my director, asking what else I could do.

Lately I think about that young adult, eager to obey her boss, full of joy in the work at hand. Do I obey my Lord with the same eagerness? Do I find joy in my obedience to the King of kings?

Joyful Obedience

The author of Hebrews encourages readers to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus obeyed the Father because of the joy ahead of Him. He knew He would take His seat at the Father’s right hand and would await the day He could go get His Bride, the Body of Believers who belong to Him because of His selfless sacrifice for us. Jesus didn’t drag His feet to obey the Father’s will. He willingly gave Himself to do what the Father asked of Him.

If Jesus is my example, the One I should look to as I run my race on this earth, how can I not be joyful in my obedience? After all, our Father loved us enough to sacrifice His Son so we could spend forever with Him. Our Lord Jesus is preparing a place for all of us who are His and promises to return for us. And the Holy Spirit willingly dwells in the hearts of all believers to guide us, give us strength to obey our God, and seal us as belonging to the Almighty until the day we are fully redeemed. How can we not find joy in obeying the One Who loves us so?

Conclusion

Often the things of this world drag us down. Whether it’s personal, family, or worldwide troubles, we lose sight of the joy we have in the Lord.

One of the best ways to remember who we are and Whose we are is to spend time with the Lord in His word.

Psalm 119:2 says,

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!

The Hebrew word for blessed is אֶשֶׁר (eh’-sher) and it means “How happy!” Obedience to God’s word brings us joy.

My prayer is we remember we are here only for a short time. Our God has good works He wants to do in and through us. And He has amazing blessings for us both here and in eternity. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and, if we love Him, we will obey Him. Then may we not only be obedient, but may we find ourselves joyfully obedient to the One Whose way is perfect, the One Who never fails.

NOTE: You may also enjoy reading Hinneni or As You Wish, additional blog posts focused on obeying our Lord.

PERSONAL NOTE: Recently I joined forces with Crossmap.com, writing for their Daybreak Devotions/Nighttime Prayers. My first devotion with them was published July 30, 2026. It is titled God Gives Wisdom Freely. The evening prayer with the same title can be found here. I hope you will find encouragement in those words as well.

God bless you as you run your race, joyfully obedient!

(Scripture: New King James Version; Photo: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen June, 2026, Tribble Mill Park)