Why Do You Obey God?

Pause prayerfully before you answer.  Honestly, why are you obeying God?

No doubt there are a variety of answers. Someone would answer obeying God is the whole duty of man.  Another, we must obey God in order to reach heaven, yet another would say they obey God to avoid hell. Obedience is often motivated by a sense of duty, or to gain a reward, or avoid punishment, or by a combination of these.

All are truthful responses.  Solomon coupled obedience and godly fear, describing them as the “whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)  No one would deny that we must be obedient children in order to be received by our Father into His eternal kingdom. Nor would we anticipate being banished from His presence as a result of our obedience.  We must all account for our obedience or disobedience. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

But I’m searching for the bottom line here.  Is a sense of duty, even strong and well developed, enough to motivate one to a lifetime of obedience?  I don’t think so, neither did our Lord.  Listen to what Jesus says concerning servants and duty,

“So likewise, you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10) 

A sense of duty is simply not enough.  To be profitable servants, we must go beyond duty.

Neither will fear of consequences be a successful long-term motivator.  Soon we will find ourselves doing only the minimum necessary to avoid fearful consequences.  Fear will never move us beyond duty to sacrifice, and to obey only for the reward looks like mere law keeping.

Our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, Lord of our lives, has given us the only true motivation. “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 NASB) Love alone is sufficient to make servants profitable, willing to sacrifice for His sake.  Nothing drives obedience like love.  Why do we obey God, because we love Him!