Do you remember you before Christ? Before you surrendered your life to Him? Do you remember the things you did? The choices you made?

More likely than not, those choices focused on what you wanted and what made you feel good. Even as a child, the things you asked for were what you wanted, what made you feel good.

Even if we were good people who did good things, serving in soup kitchens and giving to the poor, we did those things because it made US feel good.

When we change our path to follow Jesus, the old selfish ways should end. And for most people they do. Then comes the time when the shine begins to fade and we can slide back toward our old selfish ways, satisfying what we want.

Peter warns us about this. He tells us that back when we were lost, it was expected that we would act like lost people. We didn’t know any better. Once we’re following Jesus, however, we’re no longer lost and it’s no longer acceptable to act that way.

He gives the cure in the first sentence: obedience to God.

Since we don’t get audible commands from Him, the only way to know how to be obedient – or what to do to be obedient – is to read the Bible. There we can read the laws He instituted and the penalties His people paid for not obeying. We can read of Jesus’ time on earth and strive to emulate Him. We learn of the early church, how they treated one another and the work of His followers to spread the Good News.

Throughout that reading, we’ll feel this heart-nudge that is the Holy Spirit telling us to pay close attention to that section or those words. It’s our job then to pay attention and act on what we read.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are a child of God. We must choose to live as His obedient children which will prevent our sliding down that slope back to where we were before we knew Him.

Lean in today, friend. Reach for Him. Seek Him with all you are. Obey.

#LifeChange

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