Radical Obedience.

There was a time in my life where doing what God asked me to do was a breeze. Nowadays, not so much. But not so fast. It's not that simple, is it? You don't lose your faith overnight, or become unwilling (after years) in a moment.I have learned that every change is the result of a cause, and most causes become effects due to lack of discipline and consequential conscious decision. You don't put on 20 pounds in a day, you gain weight over weeks and weeks of poor eating and exercise habits. You don't sleep with your boyfriend just because it "happened," you start crossing boundaries after a history of flirting with the line and throwing caution to the wind. You don't fail a class after one bad test, you fail after several assignments and tests of slacking and nights without studying. See what I mean?Same goes with all aspects of our faith. We don't just stop being obedient to God when we have a habit established - it takes months, sometimes years, worth of decisions to stay comfortable and turn off to Him. It takes the washing of the waters of hardship, crashing into you as you voluntarily sit on the shore. It takes day after day of hustling to make more money as you neglect your quiet time and Bible. It takes Sunday after Sunday of sleeping in and detaching from community. I say this from a place of experience, with a bitter twinge of regret.I was in a mission school, just a year ago. Those days were full of friendship, miracles, joyous serving, and second-nature follow-through. It was part of my job to spend time with Jesus - to get alone with Him as frequently as possible and allow Him to kiss my soul with His Word. My only focus was to love God and love others. My mission to tell the world about Him, no matter the cost. It was easy to obey then. My school was paid for and I had no bills. The people around me were seeking God with me, challenging me, and pushing me to do the hard thing. I didn't have the choice to opt-out of going to Church or being present for others. It wasn't hard to step out in faith and look like a fool, because I was in a foreign country 8,000 miles away from anyone I could bump into once I got home. It was easy, so easy - but that's not the point.We are commissioned to seek God in the ordinary, the mundane, and the everyday grind of our lives. We are told to love not wealth because it is not our Lord, and to worry not about building a fortune for ourselves. We are called higher by the deep, rich voice of Abba, saying "Come to me." We are challenged to let our reputations and desire for fame go, void of the fear of man, so that Christ can guide our steps with our full attention. We are called to radical obedience.I am not here to tell you that reading your Bible, going to Church, and no longer sinning (i.e. the "big" sins that are always emphasized) will cause you to become good, obedient Christians. While all of those are types of obedience that often aid us in following God, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean personal obedience. The daily decision to draw away with God, and do whatever He says to do that day. To follow your conviction, even if said thing convicted of is "permissible" or something that other Christians are indulging in (i.e. If Jesus tells you to delete your social media accounts or stop watching TV, you should do it). To follow Him in whatever He leads you to do, even if it seems foolish or silly (like quitting your 6-figure job to go to the mission field or encouraging a stranger). Do you see what I mean? That kind of obedience is what I think we need in order to go deeper with God. Sure, we can stay on the surface...but what good is that?As for me, I'm starting small. I'm committing to reading my Bible daily, taking time with Jesus (even 10 minutes), surrounding myself with life-giving friends that love God, and going to church when I can (photographer's life, man). Those things may seem "religious," but what is your faith worth? It's worth your time. Your effort. Your friendship circles. Your involvement with the Body of Christ. Your listening. After all, it is the little habits that make big changes. "Easy" isn't circumstance, it's decision - and I'm choosing the better part.words by Olivia Douglas and photo by Arianna Taralson