I’ve been teaching from the book of Philippians at my church, and I’m intrigued by Phil. 2:8 which says that Jesus “humbled himself in obedience to God.” That sentence alone should give us all reason to pause.

The word obey is a word we like to throw around as parents when we are teaching our children, and we are right to do so. Children must learn quickly that life is dangerous and they must listen to our instructions.

Later as they turn into teenagers they think they know what is good for them, but they still need our guidance. They still need to obey the rules of the house – rules we know they will push and try and stretch and seek ways to maneuver around, because that’s what we did as teenagers.

However, obedience is a word we still tend to rebel against as we grow out of our teenage years and become adults. In fact, we tend to laugh at it. Do you want an example? How many of you always obey the speed limit and how many set your speed control to 69 or 70 MPH when the speed limit is 65? When you come to a stop sign do you come to a complete stop 100% of the time or do you tend to roll on through? Is anybody consistently just a tad late for work or coming back from lunch? How many of you take ALL the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, and how many stop taking it when you feel better? We don’t allow our children to pick and choose what orders they will obey, but we practice just that every day we drive or go to work or see a doctor. Continue Reading