“If you love Me, keep My commandments”

God says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. God’s will is in His word, His commandments. In the new covenant, God writes His commandments in my heart, and, for the most part, these commandments have to do with my inner life, not my outward circumstances. In this way, whether I am married or single, no matter where I work or live—obedience to God’s Word is the most important thing.

Everyone has different abilities, which place him or her in different occupations and different walks of life, but whatever my situation, I am faced with my own will that goes against God’s word. God is looking for people who love Him enough to obey Him instead of doing their own will. Naturally, it is easy to be so concerned with what I am physically doing that I forget to obey God’s commandments.  For example, God commands me to put away “all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking…” Ephesians 4:31.  If, whether I am doing road-construction, flipping burgers, or providing life support for a gravely ill person, I get angry with my co-worker in the middle of it, I have come outside of God’s will.

God’s will is that I become free from my human nature, my own will, and to follow the commandments He writes in my heart. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another…” Ephesians 4:32.  It isn’t my natural tendency, but God has commanded me to live like this—God’s will for me is a life where sin has no power over me!

It is impossible to do God’s will in my own strength, but when my whole heart’s desire is to obey His voice instead of my own, He is there, and He gives me power to carry out His will!