Your Walk of Life Begins With Obeying God

You only have one life to live. Have you thought about how you're living it? Are you walking in the direction God has called you, or are you waiting for him to explain everything before you move?

I love life. Even when I have pain in my body or don't feel my best, I'm glad to be alive. But I don't just want to live. I want to live my life for God, and I want you to understand something: your walk of life begins with obedience.

What Does the Walk of Life Mean in the Bible?

The walk of life is the journey of following God, obeying his direction, and allowing him to accomplish what he created you to do.

I want you to think about that. God has given you one life, and how you live it matters. You can spend your life doing what you want, or you can answer the call of God.

In Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abraham to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's household. God promised to bless him, make him into a great nation, and make him a blessing to others.

But notice something. God didn't give Abraham a complete explanation of where he was going or what would happen along the way.

He simply told him to go.

And Abraham believed God enough to move.

That's where many of us have a problem. We want God to show us the destination before we begin the journey. We want to know what will happen next month, what will happen next year, and how everything will work out.

But God doesn't always operate that way.

He calls you, and he expects you to follow.

Why Must We Obey God Before Seeing His Promises?

We must obey God because faith requires us to act on his word, even when we cannot see what he has prepared for us.

Look at Genesis 12:4. Abraham departed as the Lord instructed him. He was 75 years old when he left Haran.

Seventy-five years old!

Abraham didn't sit there waiting for lightning to flash or for God to explain every little detail. He got up and started walking.

And I want you to see what happened when he arrived in Canaan.

In Genesis 12:7, the Lord appeared to Abraham and promised to give the land to his descendants. Abraham then built an altar and worshiped God.

Notice the order. Abraham had to leave first. He had to make that step of faith before God revealed more of the promise.

Let me tell you something from my own life.

When God called me to come here, he didn't show me everything. I remember the first day I arrived. I heard gunshots coming from Columbia Street, and I wondered what I was doing here.

But I'm here!

God didn't explain everything before I came. I had to follow his call.

And I'm saying the same thing to you. Are you waiting for God to show you everything, or are you willing to believe him and move?

Can You Follow God Without Knowing What Comes Next?

Yes, you can follow God without knowing what comes next because God knows where he is leading you.

Abraham didn't know every detail of his journey, but he knew the God who called him.

That's the difference.

Some of you are waiting because you're uncertain about what will happen. You want everything settled before you obey.

But think about Abraham. God called him out of what was familiar and told him to go somewhere he would show him.

He had to trust God's direction.

And when Abraham arrived in the land, he built an altar. He worshiped the God who had brought him there.

That's important. Abraham didn't just receive God's direction and forget about him. He recognized God when he arrived.

I want you to understand that obedience is not simply hearing what God says. It is doing what he tells you to do.

You can listen to the Word of God every week. You can know what God has called you to do. But if you refuse to move, you're still standing in the same place.

Is It Ever Too Late to Begin Obeying God?

No, it is never too late to begin obeying God, because Abraham was 75 years old when he started this journey.

Some of you are making excuses because of your age. You say you're too old or that too much time has passed.

But Abraham didn't let his age stop him.

God can start you at 75 and accomplish what he intended for your life. You don't have to keep looking backward and saying you should have started when you were 21.

You can start right now.

And don't tell me you have to clean yourself up before coming to God. If you could change everything about yourself, you would have done it already.

Only God can change the heart.

So come to Jesus Christ as you are. Answer his call.

And if you already know Jesus but have been disobedient to what he called you to do, I'm speaking to you too.

The first step in the walk of life is obedience.

You cannot replace obedience with giving money or doing religious activities. Giving is good, but it doesn't take the place of following God.

God can work with your obedience, whatever situation you're facing.

So here's my question to you: What has God called you to do that you still haven't done?

Don't keep waiting.

The journey starts right now.