This month I’ve been blogging about things that clog our relationship with God. The first week I talked about unbelief. Last week, I wrote about the things that we love more than we love God. Jesus calls them idols. Read the entire series here.

This week I want to talk about disobedience. Jesus says clearly that we demonstrate our love for him by listening to him and obeying him (John 15:10), even when we doubt his wisdom or don’t understand why.

We’ve all been in relationship with someone who says one thing but does another. Talk is easy. When that happens, we sometimes say, “Show me your love by your actions.” Jesus says the same thing to us. When we refuse to listen to what he tells us, we not only suffer the consequences of our foolishness, we forfeit intimacy with him as we move away from him to go our own way (1 John 2:3-6).

Peter was an ordinary man, a local fisherman, impetuous and a little rough around the edges. But Jesus saw great potential in Peter and wanted a relationship with him. Early one morning, Jesus was standing by Lake Gennesaret teaching a crowd of people the word of God. Peter was on shore washing his nets after returning from a long unsuccessful night of fishing. Bone tired, Peter was looking forward to heading home and crawling into bed, but Jesus had other plans. First, he climbed right into Peter’s boat and asked Peter to move it out a little from shore so he could teach the people. Surprised, Peter went along with the teacher’s request. After Jesus was finished teaching, he told Peter to take his boat deeper and drop his nets for a catch.

As I put myself into this scene, I can imagine myself saying just what Peter said. “But Jesus, my nets are already all cleaned up. I’m exhausted. We were out there all night and didn’t catch anything.”

Peter didn’t feel like doing what Jesus asked him to do! He expressed his honest feelings to Jesus, but he went one step further. Peter added, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:1-5)

Because you say so, Jesus, I will do it.

What a wonderful, endearing thing to say to Jesus. Can you imagine how delighted (or shocked) your mom would have been if just once you would have responded to her in this way, “Mom, because you say so, I will do it.”? Likewise, it thrills God when we respond to him in simple obedience.

Has your relationship with God been hindered because of your disobedience to what he tells you? You can change that today with confession and a willingness to walk out the truths of his word in your life.