DAY #16: October 18, 2010

The Bible is very clear. If you want a new mind, you do four things.

#1. Obey God Immediately!

Don’t delay. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t put it off. Don’t make excuses. Don’t drag your feet. Just do it. You do it now. Don’t do it later. You do it now.

Psalm 119:32 says “I will quickly obey Your commands. ... Without delay I hurry to obey Your commands.” If there’s any time in life you really ought to hurry it’s when God tells you to do something. Don’t delay on that. You hurry. You obey God immediately whether you feel like it or not. Whether you understand it or not. Just do it immediately.

Can I say something that is so key here - You don’t have to understand something to benefit from it. You may say, what do you mean by that?
I don’t understand how heavy planes fly in the air but I fly all the time. I don’t understand how computers work but I sure like e-mail. I don’t understand internal combustion but I’ve driven a car for years. You don’t have to understand something to enjoy it, to benefit from it. And you don’t have to understand God's commands in order to obey them and benefit from them.

Every parent knows that you’ll tell a kid something sometimes and they’ll say, “Why should I do that?” and you say, “Because I said so.” Behind those five words you’re actually saying, “Because your little pea brain isn’t big enough to understand it and one day you’ll understand real reality but right now trust me. I know better than you. I’m doing this for your own good so you do it.” All of that is behind, “Because I say so.”

And God sometimes tells you to do something and you say, “Why?” and He says, “Because I say so. Because I know more than you. I don’t owe you an explanation. One day you’re going to understand. But now, just do it.” It is pretty audacious to question the creator of the universe, “Are You sure, God?” Some of you say, “What if I don’t have a good attitude?” Listen, you still obey. “You’re telling me to obey God with a bad attitude?” Absolutely. That’s far better than disobedience.

You parents, if you say, “Kids, I want you all to clean your room but you don’t have to do it until you have an enthusiastic attitude.” They’re never going to do it. You do it in spite of.

Question: What if God responded to your needs at the same speed in which you obey Him? When we get in trouble, we want God's help immediately. “God, I need You help now! I need it fast!” and God would say, “I’ll think about it. I'll get around to it one of these days. But right now I’m a little busy. I intend to help you but it will be awhile.”

If you want the blessings of God, all the ones I just read, if you want those in your life, you must obey God immediately. If you really want God to chnage the way you think and renew your mind and heart I must obey His word immediately.