Teach Them To Obey

Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20; emphasis mine)

Obedience is the key to discipleship.

In the previous post I noted that:
Stability comes from sticking to the priorities that will fulfil our vocation.

Those priorities are identified through obediently living out our God-given calling.

That calling is revealed through obedient listening to God's voice.

(The same process can also be expressed in this way: we discover our identity by being prepared to receive from God, to commit to others and to take responsibility for things.)

At each stage of the process, obedience is the central discipline:
obedient listening; obedient living; obedient prioritizing.

And obedience is the evidence of love. We obey because we know that we are loved. Our obedience demonstrates that we love in return.