People talk about obedience as an all inclusive commandment, but they need to clarify what is important in being obedient. It doesn’t mean being obedient across the board to everyone, but being obedient to God. As a child that means being obedient to parents, but only in things that align with the will of God (for example a child does not have to be obedient to abusive behaviour from an adult, even a parent), because we can be obedient to Satan as well as God (not at the same time though).
So when people talk about obedience without really delving into specifics, that can be confusing and can be detrimental, especially if a child is in a family or living situation where they are being led to do things harmful to them or others.
Sometimes people have had the idea that family is ‘all’ and I agree with that as long as the family is a nurturing and positive influence. Reading about the Mexican drug cartels and how more women are getting arrested in connection with it and that they have been involved because of family; fathers, uncles and brothers, I started thinking about how they got drawn into it.
Anyone can get drawn into evil, women or men.
It made me think that they got involved because of family, because of desiring to stick with family members and believing that whatever happens is right because this is their father or uncle or brother who insist on it. It helps shape their thinking.
Families can be destructive as well as constructive and friends can be either too.
The desire that people have to belong to someone, a group, whether it is a family group, a friend group or whatever, can lead them to make choices that are destructive, because of the need to be obedient to that unit, whether an individual or a group morality.
Being obedient to God gives us safety, because He won’t lead us wrong. Sometimes people think that obedience just makes us mindless sheep, but not when we direct that obedience in the right direction. If we are obedient to Heavenly Father, we are making a conscious choice to live a productive and beneficial life. Because His commandments are carefully thought out to bring us progression and happiness.
Some possible back story for the topic may be found at
http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2011/07/08/obedience-is-the-first-law-of-heaven/
Nice, thanks Paul.
Good one Mary!!!
Thanks Mum :)