Whenever we’re new to faith or a season of life, whenever we have a question, whenever we’re stuck, whenever we experience crisis: we seek. Whether we believe in God yet or not or we’ve been following for years, Jesus promises to answer.
When we are presented with an answer, we have a choice. We can either accept it or reject it. We can receive, or not. To receive means to take God at his word, believe him, embrace it fully.
Once we really believe, it leads to action. True belief naturally takes shape in lifestyle. To follow means to stop negotiating with God, and to trust him enough to do what he says—regardless of how we feel, how difficult it seems, or how countercultural it might be. Because we trust he has our best in mind as a good Father, and because He’s King.
Anyone in the producing phase still has loads to learn, but they're a fantastic
seeker, receiver, and follower. When they have a question or hit crisis, they go seek the Bible or sit before
God in prayer to listen for direction. Then they receive it, they follow it, and fruit naturally follows.
They don’t generate it with lots of work and effort. It flows from the process. Like a tree digging its roots
deeper into the soil in search of more water, its fruit naturally grows from a place of abiding.
If we start obeying before we’ve really received, we fall into a terrible trap called religion — any system of rules that promises what only relationship can offer. If God wanted us to obey out of obligation, he would have made robots (that would have been a lot simpler). He wants us to follow him because we love him and trust Him. Trust doesn’t spring up overnight. So receiving God fully is a critical foundation for following.
NOT CONVINCED?
That’s because this is relational, not transactional
Ever known someone who thought by obeying all the rules things would work out for them? Then something tragic happened, and it rocked them? They thought there was a system. And it didn’t pay off, so then all the obeying seemed like a ripoff.
We can’t do anything for God to love us more.
Or have you ever seen someone dive into volunteering, leading, pouring themselves out all over the place and totally burn out? They were doing good things, but they didn’t know how to just be with God (which is what he wants far more anyway).
We can’t sustain a bunch of doing without learning to just be.
Or someone who technically did lots of the right things, but they were kind of mean or mad all the time? They were going through the motions, but they missed the heart.
We can’t obey God on all sorts of relational things without experiencing them first.
Most people rush through receiving or miss the depth we’re meant to experience there.
The more we seek, the more we find to receive. The more we receive, the easier it is to obey (follow). The more we obey from a place of relationship, the more naturally we bear fruit (produce).
Hint: Usually if we’re struggling to receive, it comes back to trust believing God is good.
If we trust that He is a good dad, that means anything he asks of us is for our good, and we trust whatever he asks is for our benefit and protection.
If we really trust Him as a good King, we default our rights and opinions to his, because we realize it’s his right to lead us.
So if we’re struggling to trust, we go back to the beginning. We seek. We ask him to show up. We ask him to remind us who He is and who we are.
Then we receive. We fully take it in. We get rid of the other arguments and lies and distractions that keep us from fully believing and receiving him.
When we remember he’s good, and that he’s for us, then following becomes a lot simpler. Not always easy, but simple.