Obedience is God's Love Language

For your ways are in full view of the LORD,

and he examines all your paths.

Proverbs 5:21

In one of Anne Graham Lotz’s books I recall a story that she told about her mother’s cleaning spree in preparation for a TV interview that was taking place in Billy and Ruth’s home. Ruth scrubbed, dusted, and vacuumed every nook and cranny until their home was spotless. All was squeaky-clean and ready by interview day. At least that’s what Ruth thought. It was lights, camera, horror! Ruth was shocked and dismayed when the intensity of the camera crew’s lights revealed a haze of dust and cobwebs in her seemingly immaculate home. What was hidden in natural lighting was made visible under the scrutiny of the penetrating lights.

When it comes to sin, we can deceive ourselves into thinking that our lives look pretty good, even squeaky-clean when compared to some. Like the Proverbs 5 adulteress whose words drip honey and whose speech is smoother than oil (v. 3), we can smooth and soften sin by calling lying, a slight exaggeration, by calling gossip, a prayer request, by labeling murder, the right to choose, calling immodesty, fashion, dubbing flirtatiousness, as being friendly, and naming greed, entitlement.

The sin we rationalize, excuse, downgrade, justify, overlook, tolerate, and even defend is not hidden from God. For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths (Proverbs 5:21). “The word ‘paths’ refers literally to the ruts worn by repeated travel of wagons over a roadway” (John A. Kitchen, Proverbs A Mentor Commentary). Is there a repeated, habitual sin that is part of your and my life? Has it become such an everyday rut in our life’s path that it doesn’t feel like it’s really that big of a deal?

At the GEMS Counselors’ Leadership Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, Ray Vander Laan pointedly and passionately taught us from God’s Word that God’s love language is obedience. Make no mistake; we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8), but it’s through obedience that we tell God, “I love You!” This is love for God: to obey his commands (1 John 5:3). Obedience shows love to God; obedience is God’s love language!

Wisdom Prayer: Heavenly Father, our ways are in full view of You – the blatant sin, and the sin we think no one else knows about. Test us, O LORD, and try us, examine our hearts and our minds. Reveal the ruts and potholes of our paths. Shine the penetrating light of Your Word and Spirit into our lives so we can clearly recognize sin’s addictive and destructive nature. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Teach us to pay attention to Your wisdom, and to listen well to Your words of insight, so that we will maintain discretion and our lips may preserve knowledge. We love You. We will obey Your commands. In Jesus’ name, Amen (Proverbs 5:21, Psalm 26:2, Matthew 6:12, Proverbs 5:1-2, I John 5:3).

To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience.


A. W. Tozer