1 John 5:3

"This is love for God; to obey His commands.   And his commands are not burdensome . . . "

I read this definition of obedience on the internet:  "obedience is doing what you're told, when you're told, with the right attitude."    Now I doubt that you will find this defination in any dictionary, but it does indeed sum up what the Christian life is all about.  1st, 2nd and 3rd John (or 'The Triplets' as I affectionately call them) as well as the Gospel of John, are such tremendous love-books of the Bible, but 1st and 2nd John combine love for God and obedience as  one and the same. 

The author of the above quote listed obedience as being three things:

• doing WHAT you're told
• doing it WHEN you're told
• doing it with the RIGHT attitude

The majority of people tend to do two out of three; MAYBE half do one out of three; but the percentage of people who do all three, I think, is very small indeed.  It is the "right attitude" part that gets us in trouble. 

John states very simply, if you love God, you will be obedient.  Plain and simple.  Conversely, disobedient people do not love God.   This is a hard statement, but if you meditate on it, you will find that it's true.   If you truly love God, you will be obeident joyfully.  I believe "joy" is the right attitude.  Not grumbling, not nit-picking, not murmuring; or worse.  But with joy.  The Bible Dictionary describes joy as "a positive attitude or pleasant emotion; delight"

"A positive attitude" aptly defines our joy in obeying our Lord.  God's Holy Spirit has filled us with his frut, and the first two listed are love and joy, in that order of importance.  How wonderful to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, obeying God with HIS characteristics, being Christ-like, even in obedience. 

When Jesus was in the Garden praying before His arrest, was He joyful in prayer?  Yes He was.  He wasn't bouncing around laughing anticipating his death, but He had the positive attitude of being in His Father's divine will.  His spirit was joyful because He was in obedience.  He loves His Father and would do whatever He asked.

That is to be our attitude.  Joyful obedience, doing what we are told to do, when He tells us to do it.  Simply because we love Him.  That's all. 

Are you in love with Jesus?  Is your obedience joyful?  Or do you need an attitude adjustment?  We all do at one time or another.  We all slip and slide and fall, but our Jesus picks us up, brushes us off with his forgiving love, and turns us in the rght direction again.  Hopefully our obedience comes easier each new time. 

Lord Jesus, fill me with the Fruit of your Holy Spirit.  I need your love and joy to fill me as I walk in obedience with You.  Help me, Jesus, to live as a King's Kid, joyful in everything I do.  Amen.