When Obedience Becomes Radical

Radical. There’s that word again. Girls, have you noticed certain themes continue to present themselves in each book we read? In chapter three the theme of radical obedience is present to us…again. We’ve seen this concept before in Crazy Love and Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl. The word radical got me thinking. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines radical as very different from usual or traditional. So radical obedience would be obedience that is very different from the usual or traditional obedience.

What is the usual obedience for our generation? For the average, dare I say it; lukewarm church goer obedience means going to church once a week, giving a little to God, praying some and reading your Bible- usually on Sunday during the service. Those of us who do more that that are viewed as extreme or radical people.

I’ll never forget a conversation my husband and I had with our new next door neighbors a couple of weeks after we moved into the neighborhood. (Names have been changed to protect the non-believers LOL)

“You’re going to love the people around here, Amy said. “They are so sweet.”

“Yes, but watch out for Mike and Mary. They are a little radical about church.” Doug cautioned.

“Really? How so?” I asked.

“Well, they go to church like all the time!” Doug replied. “They even go to church activities and they’ll be asking you to go with them.”

At the time I didn’t know Mike and Mary, but I thought “Great, there will be someone in the neighborhood we can relate too.” Rodney and I laugh about that conversation. You see Mike and Mary went to church once a week on Sunday mornings. They did attend some of the extra activities and did ask their neighbors to join them. However, our family went to church three times a week and talked to our neighbors about their salvation. I can only image what Doug said about us behind our backs! We must have seemed ultra radical!

Lysa begins chapter three with her story of God’s instruction to sell their house. Now think about that for a minute. Sell… your… house. Francis Chan did the same thing. I’ll be honest when I first heard that it sounded extreme to me. But if we take a glimpse into scripture we see that this is how the first church acted.

“Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” Act 4:34-35

To our generation it sounds crazy to sell our land and houses to provide for others. Yet Jesus instructed a young man in Mark 10:21 to “sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor.”

So maybe selling a house in obedience isn’t radical to Jesus just to our generation.

Lysa talked about giving up television for two years and the changes it had on her. She did this in obedience to what she felt the Lord was impressing on her heart. She had these words to encourage us,

“One thing you can be assured of is that God has already worked out all the details of what your obedience will accomplish-and it is good. We need not fear what our obedience will cause to happen in our life. We should only fear what or disobedience will cause us to miss.” (page 45)

So I have to ask myself, would I be willing to do these types of things? I’d like to say yes, but in my gut I know I might not be able too.

“God wants to know if we’re willing to give up what we love to Him who loves us more. He desires for us to open our fists and trust Him with absolutely everything.” (page 49)

Lord, I knew you want pure obedience from me. I’ll be honest in the fact that I am fearful of being that obedient. Help me to open my fist on all that I hold dear. Open my heart to release the grip fear of losing someone or something has on me. Teach me that You, Jesus, are enough. Encourage me to trust you will all my heart. Help me to love you more. Amen.