Courage to Obey

There's a version of faith that sounds "cute." I trust God. I'm praying about it. I'm waiting on clarity. Anddd then there's obedience. Obedience is when God nudges... and you actually move. When He whispers, and you answer. When He stretches, and you don't shrink back. But let's talk about obedience for a second.

Because if we're honest... most of us probably didn't build our childhood reputation on being quick to obey. Remember when your mom said, don't touch that, it's hot. And you touched it anyways. Or when she said, be home when the streetlights come on. And you swore you didn't see the streetlights because you were deep in conversation with your girlfriends. Or when you were told to clean your room, and you just shoved everything under the bed and called it good. Delayed obedience. Or as I liked to call it growing up... creative obedience and selective obedience. We've been practicing negotiation since elementary school. And guess what... sometimes we still do this with God.

If we're honest... most of us didn't outgrow selective obedience. We just got more sophisticated with it. As adults, it doesn't look like touching the hot stove anymore. It looks like:

• staying in a relationship you know isn't aligned because leaving feels scary

• holding onto bitterness because forgiving feels unfair

• sitting on a dream because you're afraid to fail publicly

• staying silent when you know you should speak truth

• overworking because slowing down would require trusting God with the outcome

We don't call it disobedience. We call it timing. Wisdom. Waiting. But sometimes, it's just fear dressed up.

In Joshua 1:9, God tells Joshua "be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God didn't say, feel brave. He said be courageous. Joshuas wasn't stepping into someting small. He was leading a nation into unknown terriroty after Moses. And God's instruction wasn't complicated. Be courageous, and GO! But obedience gets heavier in adulthood because now the stakes feel personal. It's not about sneaking an extra cookie. It's about:

• walking away from a job that looks good on paper but drains your spirit

• choosing integrity when cutting corners would benefit you

• giving generously when it feels financially uncomfortable

• apologizing first when your pride wants to win

• starting the thing God placed on your heart even if no one claps at the beginning

• trusting God with your timeline when it doesn't match your expectations

Courage to obey means saying yes when your comfort says no. Here’s the part we don’t love… delayed obedience is still disobedience. Ouch. How many times have we said, God just give me one more sign? When deep down, we already know what He's asking us to do. We hesitate. We overthink. We "pray about it" for six months. Courage to obey means trusting that if He called you, He will cover you. If He sent you, He will sustain you. If He asked you, He will equip you.

SHE Walks in Faith

She…

• obeys quickly instead of creatively rewriting the instructions

• chooses God’s voice over her fear

• moves before she feels fully ready

• stops negotiating with what she already knows is right

• understands that courage is often quiet but decisive

She may still feel nervous.

But she moves anyway.

🩷 Prayer

Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve negotiated instead of obeyed. For the times I’ve stalled, delayed, or pretended not to hear You. Give me childlike trust—but grown-woman courage. When You speak, help me move. When You nudge, help me respond. When You stretch me, help me say yes. I don’t want to just believe You. I want to obey You. Amen.