Obedience and Will: An Offering of Love
Obedience and will—where does it begin? One of my favorite subjects to write about is happiness. It is a cornerstone of the entire industry that supports my livelihood: the practice of psychotherapy. People yearn for happiness, but when they focus their will solely on that end, they fail to realize they are setting their psyche on what is not there. Instead, they should focus on what has been apparent the whole time.
Happiness is an inside job: we need only learn the obedience necessary to turn the inside toil into a creative source. Let’s say, the Creative Source, to nurture its presence into our being. The three-line blueprint for this transformation is encapsulated in this Haiku:
Offering of love,
Obedience I give thee.
Blessed is thy heart.
~Thomas C. Maples
Got Happiness? Here, let us take a look at how we can shift from a resistant heart to a blessed heart, aligned with the love God has for us.
The Motivation: “Offering of Love”
We do not always find the gift in the sacrifice we give. Nuance usually hides the beauty from the person who sacrificed. Instead, look at the sacrifice as a seed yet to take form—one that nevertheless retains the grandeur of its image, genetically ingrained into its every essence.
This seed represents the calling of the vocation we are to succumb to. Yet, in this act of submission, we show obedience to God’s Will greater than ours. It is from this place that we become worthy to receive the gift of the image yet to be. As the Apostle Paul urges us:
“I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call” (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Obedience and the Image Found: The Ugly Duckling Experience
Imagine a space where we become that which we were set out to be. Remember The Ugly Duckling? No one accepted her because she was different. Despair set in, and she waddled to a lonely position in life. But it was there that she found her kind. She wasn’t perfect; she just was, in a place where her image could flourish.
When we offer our time, talents, and successes to a Will higher than the ego’s calling, we offer the self to unite with its creative source. This Catholic offering of self is the surrender of the “ugly duckling” ego to the Divine design, allowing the swan within to emerge.
The Choice: “Obedience I Give Thee”
The spiritual decision for obedience begins with “I.” It is not an outside job. No one can make this offering but us. It must be voluntary—a singular act of the soul. To convert in this essence is to turn Free Will over, to let go, and to let God. By doing so, we address the core problem of rectifying personal will vs. God’s Will.
There is a constant friction between the weight of the soul and the yearning of the spirit. While the spirit invites us into the realm of dreams, the soul reminds us of the mortality present in our human condition. I often wonder if the space between the weight of the soul and the flight of the spirit is where we first turn our conscious attention, realizing we are inhabitants of a world where we must choose to fend for ourselves or align with our Creator.
The Agony in the Garden
The ultimate expression of this tension is found in Gethsemane:
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” (Mark 14:32-36)
While the gravity of the soul is a heavy yoke, converting the will to an obedient state provides a freeing perspective. It mirrors the heaviness lifted during confession, where reflection meets mercy. We are invited to align our will with God’s Will. It is a heavy choice, but the struggle forms the journey.
The Outcome: “Blessed Is Thy Heart”
The Gentle Mastery of God’s Will
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
In an analysis of Siddhartha, I gained insight into uniting human will with God’s inner plan. Before I became a psychotherapist, I intended to go to law school. Yet, in a dream, I found a nascent interest in a field I had no exposure to, aside from my own experience with therapy after the Navy.
That dream felt like God’s Will calling. The paradox of freedom calls each of us similarly: do we follow the path we create, or the one that calls to us? How many people listen to the symbolic calling held within their dreams?
Obedience, Freedom, and Sharing the Burden
If the self seeks freedom through the ego, it remains subservient to anxiety and toil. Yet, when we accept help from the Divine, the burden is halved. God’s peace comes when we surrender the need for control, which aligns our soul with love and order. A blessed heart through obedience is the final result. As Luke 11:28 reminds us:
“He replied, ‘Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.’” (Luke 11:28)
A Practice in Obedience: Three Steps to Alignment
Don’t judge each day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds you plant
Step 1: The Daily Discipline of Discernment
Shh. Can you hear it? As a therapist, I know that’s a loaded question! Humor aside, to embrace a will not our own, we must silence our own demands. Don’t look for miracles; engage in honest reflection.
Exercise: Ask yourself daily, “Where did I cooperate with Grace, and where did I resist God’s plan?” Find what you placed before God today—was it pride, work, or money? By acting in obedience to the First Commandment (“You shall not have strange gods before me”), you open doorways to communion.
Step 2: Embracing the “Small O’s” (Opportunities for Obedience)
We become what we practice. Obedience is a muscle. It takes “sets and reps.” We often wait for big signs but miss the Opportunities for Obedience (Small O’s) that exponentially affect our lives. Small acts of faith—patience in traffic, kindness when tired—are the seeds of a transformed nature.
As Matthew notes:
Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. (Matthew 25:21)
Catching the Small O’s trains the muscle of surrender for the larger challenges to come.
Step 3: The Living Sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
This step mirrors Christ’s submission on the cross. We are all called to carry our own cross, but we are invited to lighten that yoke through faith.
The Wake Exercise: Ask yourself, “What story do I want told at my wake?” This allows you to build backward from an endpoint.
The Morning Offering: Ritualize this by offering your day to God. Dedicate your labors, joys, and sufferings. By handing over the reins before the day begins, you transform folding laundry or professional challenges into grace-filled acts. This is love through action.
Conclusion: The Bow and the Arrow
Offering of love,
Obedience I give thee.
Blessed is thy heart.
~Thomas C. Maples
What is the one thing any person has to offer freely? Love. Obedience is simply the action of that choice.
If personal will is the bow and loving obedience is the arrow, then God is the target. The journey toward rectifying personal will vs. God’s Will is not a constraint; it is the path to spiritual freedom.
Your challenge today: Choose one area you are working on—resentment, fear, or shame. Surrender it. Let go, and let God. Humble yourself to the Will of God and watch for the result.
Until next time, my friends, may blessings find you on your journey to envision, chart a course, and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
More from Dr. Thomas Maples
Find me on Psychology Today
Unique Candle Collections
