by Mark McCrary<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BarnStalls-300x207.jpg\")
Growing up, this was the job I hated the most (and, hate is not too strong a word). Three times a week I had to clean out the feed room in the barn. That includes everything you think would be included. It was a stinky, unpleasant job. I did it because it was my chore to do. I did it because dad made me.<\/p>\n
Fast forward 30 years. Saturday afternoon I was feeding the cows for Pop. I finished his instructions and was about to leave the feed room when I noticed how dirty the floor was. I looked over and saw the shovel to the side and decided to clean the floor for him. I did the same thing that I’d done 30 years ago. It was just as unpleasant. But this time I did it not because I had to, but because I love him.<\/p>\n
Obedience to God is kind of like that. Early on in our spiritual life, we obey because we have to; we do what we’re told. Somewhere along the way, though – if you’re really growing – we start obeying because we love him. Tasks that seemed to be so difficult at one point become much more bearable. That’s why – long-term – love is a far better motivator in Christian service than fear or obligation.<\/p>\n
“If you love me, you will keep My commandments<\/em>” (John 14:15).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Mark McCrary Growing up, this was the job I hated the most (and, hate is not too strong a word). Three times a week I had to clean out the feed room in the barn. That includes everything you think would be included. It was a stinky, unpleasant job. I did it because it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-54870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-obedience"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86887,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/sincere-obedience\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":0},"title":"Sincere Obedience","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Obedience is not merely an outward act that conforms to a command. It is a bending of the heart, a surrender of the will, to the mind of God. If I regularly ran red lights because I didn't want to stop, then I am a lawbreaker at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92433,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-was-born-in-a-house-not-a-barn\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":1},"title":"Jesus Was Born in a House, Not a Barn","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Reexamining Luke's Birth Narrative by Clay Gentry The birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, is one of the most remarkable events in human history. It was the moment that the eternal \"Word became flesh and dwelt among us\" (John 1:14). Yet, paradoxically, the historical moment of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":97727,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/his-winnowing-fan-is-in-his-hand\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":2},"title":"His Winnowing Fan Is in His Hand","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven \"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/wheat-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":62873,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-seed-still-in-the-barn\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":3},"title":"Is the Seed Still in the Barn?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 22, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Haggai 2:10-19 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After the people returned from captivity, work began in rebuilding Israel. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The people quickly laid the foundation of the temple, but the work stagnated. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The people were distracted with rebuilding their own homes and efforts to produce a living. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Over time they became apathetic. For 16\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92527,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-jesus-an-immigrant\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":4},"title":"Was Jesus an immigrant?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: About the immigration issues: I'm on the fence with some of it. I can't help but think that Jesus was himself an immigrant, as Mary and Joseph fled King Herod. And they had to have Jesus in a manger. It just brings me back to the holocaust, how many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13245,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/please-explain-the-baptism-of-fire\/","url_meta":{"origin":54870,"position":5},"title":"Please explain the “baptism of fire”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 8, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please explain the \"baptism of fire.\" Thank you. Answer: The concept of a baptism of fire comes from a statement made by John the Baptist. \"And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54870\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}