More From Lei Cao Garcia-Bote

My daughter is finishing her university education and lives in a dorm far away from our family. I praise God that during this phase of her life, she understands the value of healthy eating. There was a time in the past when she disliked vegetables. I encouraged her, but she wouldn’t even try until one day she did so out of obedience to me. Now she enjoys every meal with a good amount of her favorite greens. Every so often, she visits a farmers’ market to buy fresh vegetables and cook them for herself.

What started as her gesture of loving obedience to me developed in her an appreciation of healthy eating. The constant reminders I offered to my daughter were motivated by my love for her. She knew that, and she reciprocated that love through her obedience. Her obedience paved the way to her understanding that my instruction was for her best interest. My obedience to God is just like my loving relationship with my daughter. I do not know what is best for me until I obey what God is commanding me to do. The more I learn to obey God’s word, the more I see God’s unconditional and faithful love for me.