The Fruit of Trust: Obedience
I like to think obedience is God’s love language. Yes, we can love God with our words as we lavish praise upon Him, but I believe it is the yielding of our lives that bring Him the most honor.
I grew up in church as a pastor’s kid, and have always had a love for the Lord. From my earliest memories, I was memorizing scriptures and learning different bible stories, and I’m grateful to say that I loved growing up this way. I had a clear grasp on what was right and what was wrong, according to the Bible, throughout my teenage years. By no means did I live perfectly, but I had no problem saying “no” to things that wouldn’t build up my faith. Somewhere along the way, this desire to please God and do what was right became a long list of things I don’t do; “I don’t drink”, “I don’t curse”, or “I don’t party”. I remember God taking me on this beautiful journey of realizing it wasn’t about just acting the “right” way, it was about the posture of my heart. To live for God and obey His commands is more about surrender than it is striving.
Obedience must be birthed out of love, not religious obligation. John 14:15 says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” There were many things I said “no” to growing up out of a RULES motivated religion, not an obedience born out of sincere relationship. The Lord is now teaching me how to live for him, give up worthless ways, and surrender everything to him simply out of my love for Him. When you truly love someone, you desire to do what pleases them. I’ve found the more that I fall in love with Jesus, the more I realize His ways are truly better than my own and I long to live in a way that makes Him smile. I don’t obey the Lord because He is some dictator that forces me to. I obey Him because I love Him so much and want to do His will.
Obedience is the fruit of trust. When we say “God I will do whatever you ask of me,” we are also saying “I trust that you know what is best for me.” God has been teaching me the importance of immediate obedience. When he speaks to me or impresses something on my heart, I want my first response to be “Yes Lord!” Because I trust you, I don’t even need to contemplate or over-think what you’re telling me. It’s simple. I love you enough to obey you AND I trust you enough to follow your instructions. Cultivating both love and trust are required for immediate obedience. 1 John 5:3 says. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I love the fact that God is not calling us to a life that is impossible to live. Because we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus, we are able to live in a way that honors Him. Falling in love with Jesus and serving Him is the most free and fulfilling journey. Although we do walk through suffering in this life, living obedient to the will and ways of God keeps us from the struggle and suffering that is caused by a life of sin.
Sometimes obedience is saying no to things that God will ask us to lay down. And other times, obedience is saying yes to things that he’s calling us into. What is important is that our answer is motivated by love. I wouldn’t want to live any other way than living in full surrender to the fullness of God’s plan.
Tiffany Hudson grew up in the church as a Pastor’s kid always knowing she wanted to be in ministry. It was also at her parent’s church where she started honing in on her worship-leading skills, learning to play multiple instruments and write songs. As a songwriter, any time she gets the opportunity to write is, as she explains, “a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God.” Tiffany Hudson never dreamed of having a solo artist career, but it was when she felt an invitation from the Lord in early 2022 that she even considered releasing her own songs. “After a season of what felt like a creative drought, I began to sit down at my piano and felt the Lord begin to download songs and themes,” she shares about the process of making her first solo project. “This began a personal journey of sitting with Him, writing, co-writing, and desiring to present the things He placed in my heart. It’s always a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God. ” Hudson is an award-winning songwriter (“Graves Into Gardens,” “Wait On You,” “Never Lost,” among others), a member of the GRAMMY® Award-winning group Elevation Worship, and a worship leader at Elevation Church. She has also been honored to be part of the numerous accolades Elevation Worship has received: RIAA Gold® certification, a GRAMMY Award®, two Billboard Music Awards®, and two GMA Dove Awards®. Tiffany’s solo debut album, Hidden Here, is available everywhere now.
