Moment by Moment Obedience

A sweet friend from our 20s group emailed me some encouraging words from a devotional she had read. She was reading from one of my favorites My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Here is an excerpt from what she shared with me:

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” ( Mark 6:49 ). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

I am hardly in the midst of turmoil right now, but I have struggled a bit in recent months about my job and figuring out what I am doing, what my next steps are, what my purpose is in the midst of it all, etc. Her email was such an encouragement and a good reminder of waiting on the Lord, committing my plans to Him, and just living in moment by moment obedience...for a personality that is a compulsive planner at heart, this is so difficult sometimes. I get so focused on the future and what I am supposed to do next, that I too easily forget about where He has placed me right now. I want very much to serve and glorify Christ no matter where He places me- even if it seems like a strange place to be, even if I cannot see or understand fully the purpose. I want my life to be characterized by moment by moment obedience...