The Simple Yet Profound Secret to the Christian Life
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Over the last six weeks, I've been working on Bible character stories with Frank Scavo for my Real Women Heroes of the Bible series. In this time, God has been highlighting something so simple yet profound that I almost hesitated to share it. As I dove deep into the lives of these great women, I gained a new appreciation for the words of an old favorite hymn: "Trust and Obey."
Sometimes we expect spiritual revelations to come as some deep theology. But just as Jesus shared profound truths in simple parables, so I've found that God often speaks to me in a simple way. This truth that I came to is both elementary and revolutionary. The secret to the Christian life can be boiled down to these two words: Trust and obey.
The Pattern in Biblical Characters
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In each of my children's books, I highlight the character of each of these great women. For example, we have Mary's obedience, Ruth's loyalty and kindness, Esther's bravery, and Mary Magdalene's devotion. Yet behind each of these qualities was this basic pattern of behavior. They trusted and obeyed God to carry out the purpose that God had for their lives.
Just looking at the lives of the women of the Bible I have written about so far, they also demonstrate this pattern. Ruth trusted God's provision and obeyed by following Naomi to a foreign land (Ruth 1:16-17). Mary trusted God's impossible promise and obeyed His call to bear the Messiah (Luke 1:38). Esther trusted God's providence and obeyed the call to risk her life for her people (Esther 4:16). Deborah trusted God's battle plan and obeyed by leading alongside Barak (Judges 4:6-9).
This pattern is revealed in other biblical characters too. For example, when God called Abraham to leave everything he knew, he trusted God's promise and obeyed by departing for an unknown land (Genesis 12:1-4). Or take Moses: Though at first reluctant, he trusted God's power and obeyed the call to confront Pharaoh (Exodus 3-4). There's also Noah. He trusted God's warning about the flood—something he'd never seen—and obeyed by building an ark (Genesis 6:22).
We also see this pattern when we study Paul on his missionary journeys. He continually trusted the Spirit's leading and obeyed where He led, and he even wound up in prison and faced hard treatment because of it (Acts 16:6-10). This rhythm is also seen in the life of Daniel. He trusted God for protection and obeyed, praying despite the king’s forbidding it (Daniel 6:10). The same thread weaves through the story of every faithful character in the Bible.
But this dance of trusting and obeying is not only seen through the "heroes" of faith. It's the rhythm of walking with God for us today too.
The Price of Disobedience
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I know firsthand the consequences of walking outside this pattern. Even though I was raised in a Christian home, I didn't truly surrender my life to the Lord until age 34. Those years of following me instead of God took me down paths that, though pleasurable at first, were ultimately headed toward destruction. As Proverbs says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Even after coming to Christ, I have known seasons of misaligned obedience and followed what others thought I should do in ministry rather than what God was calling me to do. This was teaching me that even "godly" activities, when not aligned with God's personal direction, can take us off His perfect path and derail us.
The Daily Choice
Living a life of trust and obedience is not a once-and-done decision; it's something a person chooses each day. Like Mary Magdalene's commitment to Jesus, we make our choice to trust His leading and to obey His voice each morning—sometimes to actively serve and sometimes to wait in obedience as He builds our character.
What's beautiful about God's path is that it's not about perfection. When we veer off course, we can always return to these two simple principles: to trust and obey Him. This heart posture keeps us aligned with His purposes and promises.
Finding Peace in His Plan
When we are living our lives according to this trust-and-obey way, we find ourselves walking in His purpose for our lives. This brings a peace and fulfillment that no self-directed path can match. Yes, obedience isn't a popular concept in today's "follow your heart" culture. But it's through obedience that we find our ultimate freedom.
“Through obedience we find our ultimate freedom.”
There are seasons—probably many—when you might not know what God is doing. You're in a waiting season or a character-building season (aren't those fun?) That's okay; continue to trust His timing and press on in obedience to what He has shown you. But let it be said: being on God's path is not all about doing huge things; sometimes it is simply remaining faithful in trust and obedience with the daily, small choices.
In what area of your life is God asking you to trust Him today? Where might He be calling you to step out in obedience?
Want to help the children in your life understand these timeless principles through the lives of biblical heroes? Check out my Real Women Heroes of the Bible series, where characters such as Mary, Ruth, and Esther are models for trusting and obeying God.
