"I Obey On Thursdays"

Last night as we were preparing to go to bed, Jacob and I were in the kitchen getting what he calls his "bed night drink." I was pouring his juice as he was scaling the cabinets to crawl and perch on the counter top. As I recall I had said maybe twice, "Jacob, get down." Feeling weary from the day and living in apparent parental disobedience I ask a question with great frustration. "Jacob, do you ever obey Mommy?" His reply was priceless. "Yes, ma'am, I obey on Thursdays." Lucky for me today is Thursday right? The more I thought about this the more the Holy Spirit began to speak to me personally through this small voice of truth. In Jacob's mind he does obey. Maybe only on Thursdays, but nevertheless, he would say that he obeys. He wants to be characterized as an obedient child. The same is true for me. I want to be obedient to my Heavenly Father, but it's not enough to just obey on Thursdays. As believers we often fall into this trap as we train our minds to think like Jacob. If I obey in this situation, but tell a "white lie" here (which by the way is code for a big black sin) or allow my mind to wander in this situation, or speak a careless word today, but I still obey most of the time, then can I still be considered obedient? His word is clear that we are to obey His word, follow His precepts, walk in His ways. It's worded in many ways but the meaning is the same. He speaks, we obey. Bottom line! I expect the same from my children. Actually I expect them to obey All the way, Right away and With a Happy Heart. Don't you think our heavenly Father expects no less from us. If we only obey on Thursdays (or in certain areas) but choose to walk in our own ignorant ways the rest of the time, then we are characterized as disobedient. I have hope and faith that Jacob will one day be characterized as obedient. It will take discipline and a mommy who is not lazy, but it will one day happen. I have 3 others that are a testimony of this. Does God have the same faith in me, that I will one day be characterized as obedient? Jacob is able to justify his disobedient behavior, unfortunately so am I. He comes by it honestly. There is however NO way to justify being disobedient to a heavenly Father who gave His very life for me. He deserves COMPLETE obedience. We must choose to walk in total obedience everyday. So the next time a "white lie" will make the situation easier or your tempted to "give that waitress a piece of your mind" or "you don't care that it's wrong because it makes you happy" just remember that these disobedient acts that we have the gift to justify are the very things that held Jesus on that cross. They are the very things that made the nails, the crown of thorns and the flogging necessary. They seem like such little things to us, but the weight of that cross was a really big thing to Jesus and to our Father as He had to turn away and could not even look upon His son. Obedience!! That's my goal. Remember delayed obedience is disobedience so start obeying today, after all it is Thursday.