⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:6 (ESV)

OBEY GOD

It’s one thing to ask God for wisdom, but it’s another to act when He grants it.
In this passage, James connects asking with believing, because true asking assumes obedience. If you’re unwilling to obey, then your asking is just lip service. Obedience stretches our faith because it requires trust. It’s easy to agree with God in theory. It’s much harder to put His Word into practice—especially when it challenges our comfort zones or calls us to give up control.

Obedience costs us. Forgiving someone means releasing bitterness. Serving others means sacrificing time and energy. Speaking truth means risking rejection. Saying no to temptation means denying desire. But true obedience is where faith becomes real. It’s the bridge between hearing and living, between belief and practice. Without it, faith is just an idea that never leaves our heads.

Think back to Peter stepping out of the boat in Matthew 14. Peter asked Jesus to call him. We don’t know his true intention—maybe he was just testing Jesus, trying to sound more spiritual than the other disciples. Regardless, Jesus responded to Peter’s request and told him to come out on the water. Peter then had a choice to make. He might have believed that Jesus could enable him to walk on water, but there was a moment where he had to act on that belief and climb out of the boat. That one step turned belief into obedience.

Sometimes we imagine obedience only in big, dramatic decisions. But often it’s the small, daily steps of obedience that stretch our faith the most. It stretches us to be honest at work when it will cost us. It stretches us to show kindness to a neighbor when it’s inconvenient. It stretches us to be faithful in prayer when life feels busy. See, obedience is a posture of the heart that shows up in the details of life.

How can you grow in obedience today?

1. Start with what you know — God has made His Word clear. It won’t necessarily answer every decision you face, but there is enough in Scripture to guide you to love God, love people, and live sent.

2. Obey quickly — You know as well as I do: the longer you wait to obey, the harder it gets. We rationalize disobedience the more we put it off.

3. Obey fully — I’ve heard it said before: partial obedience is disobedience. God’s call on our lives is not to pick and choose the parts we like or find easy. He calls us to total surrender.

4. Obey joyfully — If I haven’t lost you yet, this is the most important part. These four steps get harder as they go, but this last one is often the most difficult. It requires a shift in perspective to see that obedience isn’t a burden but an opportunity to honor God.

Let me remind you: obedience feels costly in the moment, but it always leads to blessing in the long run. This blessing may not be material or immediate, but obedience brings peace, intimacy with God, and freedom from guilt.

So where has God been clearly calling you—and where have you been putting Him off? How can you take a step toward obedience today? Don’t just ask for wisdom. Act on it. That’s where faith becomes sight.

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.