Unconscious Obedience

Our life is not one that is to be lived with unconscious obedience. What the heck does this mean you may be asking yourself? When we are called to join the kingdom of God this does not mean that we are following a list of rules that leads to an ethic obedience. Our life is not to follow some moral requirement that lead to the identification with the collective body of people, or church. Our life is to be lived from consciousness, from awareness. This involves the changing of our inner person. It requires the wrestling with pain and frustration at times. People who are ready to live at this kind of consciousness are ready for the kingdom of God. People who want to find a moral way to behave so that they can be pleasing to God and others are not ready for the kingdom or salvation. Read the following verse in light of this:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

But the Message version is even more telling in light of the above:

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."

Matthew 7:13-14

Entrance into God’s kingdom means the destruction of the old personality, the ability to let go of something that we all hold onto so dearly – our self – our ego. This can be a violent fight at times. Jesus comments on this in Luke 16:16 - "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it." This is also what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 10:39:

"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me."

What makes it so important to God that we lose ourselves and have this struggle? I think that because without it we will never find the creativity that God has placed in us from the moment we were created. We never find our creativity- our life. This requires a person to recognize their own need, even despair. When we do we are ready for the kingdom and to allow God to work. Those who feel that they are self-sufficient, those whose life are one-sided only - thinking of self; will remain caught up in their ego and miss the kingdom of God. They cannot see that the kingdom of God is right here and right now. They miss the creativity that is placed in them to be used right now for salt and light to those that need their talent – whatever that may be.
Be aware of your need for God. Be aware of the inner journey that needs to be taken. Be aware of your need, even your despair. “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Do not live in unconscious obedience never owning the reality of the kingdom of Jesus that calls us to have life and have it more abundantly.
Namaste’