Daily Journey: Day 50

Why Obedience Is Not Earning

Scripture (ESV):

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” — John 14:15

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I’ve obeyed before with an expectation attached to it.

I wouldn’t have said that out loud. But it was there.

If I stay disciplined…

If I stay faithful…

If I make the hard call…

Surely this will smooth out.

That’s not obedience. That’s leverage.

And it took me a while to see it.

The drift is subtle. You don’t wake up deciding to treat God transactionally. It creeps in when outcomes matter — and outcomes always matter. Especially when you’re carrying responsibility.

But theology won’t let me live there.

Obedience is not currency. It is response. It flows from communion, not toward it. I don’t obey to secure love. I obey because love has already secured me.

When obedience becomes earning, anxiety shows up. I start scanning circumstances. Is this working? Is this paying off?

When obedience is response, it steadies. I act because alignment is right — not because I can guarantee what comes next.

That’s cleaner.

And harder.

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Why this matters

If obedience is transactional, disappointment is inevitable. When life resists your faithfulness, resentment quietly grows.

But when obedience flows from communion, you can remain faithful without keeping score.

That protects the heart.

And it keeps love from turning into negotiation.

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Reflection

Where might I be attaching expectations to obedience?

If nothing changed externally, would I still call it faithfulness?

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Word of the Day

Communion — relational participation with God that precedes and produces obedience.

“Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” — 1 John 1:3