Have you ever noticed a situation where the same instruction is given by two different people, yet the person receiving the instruction responds differently depending on who gave it?
The instruction is the same, but the response changes because of the relationship the recipient has with the instructor. One instruction is gladly obeyed, while the other is questioned, delayed, or ignored. The difference is often not the instruction itself, but the love, respect, and trust the person has for the one giving it.
Cain and Abel received same instruction from same Instructor, but their response were different. What went wrong?
Obedience reveals what—or whom—we love most.
Jesus said,
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
Notice that Jesus did not say, “If you fear Me,” or “If you understand everything.” Instead, He said, “If you love Me.” Love is the motivation behind true obedience.
Love for God vs. Love for Self
The struggle between obeying God and following our own desires is ultimately a conflict between two loves: love for self and love for God.
Love for Self
Love for self asks:
• What do I want?
• What makes me comfortable?
• What benefits me?
• Will this cost me too much?
• What if I miss out?
Whenever God’s Word challenges our ambitions, pleasures, pride, or fears, self-love naturally resists.
This was the essence of Adam’s fall. Adam chose his own judgment over God’s clear command. His affection shifted from trusting God to trusting himself. The desire to satisfy himself became greater than his desire to please God.
Of course, at the root of every act of disobedience is a heart that values self above God’s will.
Love for God
Love for God asks:
• What pleases the Lord?
• His will is better than mine.
• I trust His wisdom even when I do not understand it.
• Knowing Him is worth more than temporary comfort.
A heart that truly loves God does not see obedience as a burden but as a privilege.
It obeys God joyfully without being controlled by public opinion or the fear of what others may think or say. Love for the One giving the instruction outweighs every other consideration. That love compels a person to act on God’s Word rather than search for more convenient alternatives.
The Apostle John writes,
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
When love grows, obedience becomes a delight rather than a duty.
Why Do We Obey When God Speaks?
People obey for different reasons, some of the reasons are listed below:
• Fear of punishment
• Desire for reward
• Religious duty
• Respect for authority
• Love
While each of these may motivate obedience to some degree, love is the highest motivation.
A child may obey a parent because of discipline, but a mature son or daughter obeys because they love and trust their parent.
Likewise, believers grow from merely avoiding judgment to delighting in doing the Father’s will.
Jesus: The Perfect Example
Jesus demonstrated perfect love for the Father.
He said,
“I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” (John 14:31)
Jesus connected His obedience directly to His love for the Father.
He did not obey reluctantly or merely out of obligation. His obedience flowed from love.
Peter: Love Before Assignment
After His resurrection, Jesus met with His disciples. During His conversation with Peter, He did not ask,
“Peter, are you committed enough for the assignment ahead?”
Neither did He ask,
“Peter, are you talented or gifted enough?”
Instead, He asked Peter three times,
“Do you love Me?” (John 21:15–17)
Only after Peter affirmed his love did Jesus say,
“Feed My sheep.”
Before entrusting Peter with responsibility, Jesus first established the foundation—love.
Love comes before service, because lasting obedience cannot exist where genuine love is absent.
What Hinders Obedience?
Obedience is the positive response to God’s instruction.
Whenever we resist God’s voice, it is because something else has become more valuable to us than He is.
It may be:
• Love of comfort
• Love of reputation
• Love of money
• Love of pleasure
• Love of control
• Love of self
Disobedience often reveals misplaced affection before it reveals open rebellion.
Whatever occupies first place in our hearts will eventually govern our decisions.
The New Covenant Difference
The New Testament teaches that believers do not obey in order to earn God’s love.
Rather, we obey because we have already received His love.
The greatest demonstration of this truth is found in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”
God’s giving was the result of His love. Likewise, “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).
Through the Holy Spirit, God pours His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5), enabling us to respond with loving obedience. Obedience is therefore the fruit of a transformed heart, not the price of acceptance.
A Practical Test
Whenever God speaks through His Word or by the leading of the Holy Spirit, ask yourself:
• What do I love more at this moment—God’s will or my own?
• Am I protecting my comfort or pursuing His pleasure?
• Is my hesitation rooted in fear, pride, or self-interest?
• Do I trust that His command is for my good and for His glory?
If we answer these questions honestly, they will often reveal the true object of our affection.
Conclusion
Love is the engine of obedience. Fear may produce temporary compliance, but only love produces joyful and enduring obedience.
Every command from God presents us with a choice between two loves:
• Love for self
• Love for God
Jesus made the standard unmistakably clear:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
True obedience is not merely following rules. It is the visible expression of a heart that treasures God above everything else.
Jesus Himself declared,
“But He comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.” (John 14:31)
And again,
“If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.” (John 15:10).
If you are reading this and find yourself struggling with wholehearted obedience to God’s will, the answer may not be simply trying harder.
Instead, seek to love Him more. Grow in your knowledge of His love. Spend time in His presence. Meditate on His Word. Let your relationship with Abba (Father) deepen day by day.
The more you love Him, the more natural obedience becomes. What once felt difficult becomes a joyful response to the One who first loved you.