Obedience in the Ordinary

Alignment Year Curriculum: Diving into our theme for April... Obedience

If you’ve been following along with my Alignment Curriculum this year, then you already know the deal: it’s a new month, so we are moving into a new megatheme, studied through the lens of walking in alignment with God.

This month’s theme is Obedience in the Ordinary.

And if you’re new here, let me catch you up. Late last year, I decided to take a more structured approach to studying the Bible. No more flipping to random pages or jumping between themes (there is nothing wrong with that, btw). But this year, I wanted to be intentional with my studies mainly because I struggle with consistency. I figured a year-long plan would help me stay committed and rooted in spiritual knowledge.

I’ve been trying to release these themes at the top of each month for anyone who wants to follow along, but I’ll be honest, this month (invisible ink~year) has been a lot. So I’m trusting this is reaching you just in time.

I’ve spent a good part of April not just studying, but asking myself honest questions like, "What does daily obedience actually look like?”

For me, being obedient in the big moments feels a lot easier than walking in that discipline daily. You know the once-in-a-while CLEAR instructions like “forgive,” “move,” or “let that go” tend to offer a smoother follow-through than the daily sacrifice and quiet listening that daily obedience requires. Here is where I struggle, and I’m sure I am not the only one.

Especially in difficult seasons, when my worries are louder than God’s truth, that’s why this theme couldn’t be more timely for me. And if I’m honest, each month’s theme so far has been on point! You can see previous months’ articles related to my alignment curriculum below:

To say the most, while walking in this month’s theme, I’ve been learning to remain steady in moments of uncertainty. When my mind is overwhelmed, I still open my bible; when prayer is hard, I still pray. In every season, I keep showing up.

And I think that’s the point.

This is what it looks like to practice obedience in the ordinary, small, unseen, everyday decisions. So in that spirit, here are a few practical ways I’m practicing obedience this month:

Reading the Word
Okay, this one is so obvious, but I do think we tend to overlook the importance of reading our Bibles every day and APPLYING. For instance, when the word says, “Fear not, for I am with you,”¹ I submit my fears and worries to that truth. In practicing this, I am allowing my emotions to be obedient to the word of God. It’s a small task that I can do to ensure daily alignment, and it’s been a huge help in casting down my imaginations².

Building Consistency
We are talking about everyday obedience, which requires consistency, and consistency requires some type of structure. For me, that looks like setting aside time for Bible study, prayer, and journaling, and ideally… actually scheduling it out. I’m really trying to break my “do it when I get to it” fluid structure. Planning ensures it actually happens (Prayer 7 am, Bible Study 5 pm, Journaling 8 pm). This is structure. Otherwise, it’ll never leave the chat, hehe.

Spiritual Awareness. I’m also practicing being spiritually aware throughout the day, so keeping my spirit engaged with quick prayers and reflecting on what I’ve been studying. I do this randomly throughout the day, especially when my mind begins to wander. I believe this is where transformation will happen, keeping my mind fixed. Reciting scripture has helped me so much this week. I’ve been thinking on: Psalm 139:14³ and Lamentations 3:22–24⁴.

Listening to the Leading of the Holy Spirit
We often overlook the small nudges: feeling like we should reach out to that person that keeps coming to mind or do that thing we’ve been putting off, quitting social media (I’ve done this again this month lol). At first, these may seem small… almost insignificant. But we never actually know what those moments of obedience can lead to unless we follow through.

So this month, I’m choosing to honor the small things. The quiet obedience. The unseen moments. Because if I can be faithful here, I can trust that God will take care of what I can not do on my own.

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Here are our focus scriptures for this month. Keep obedience in mind when reading through these verses and ask yourself: What does everyday obedience look like in my current season?

April — Obedience in the Ordinary

• Ruth

• Luke 16

• Matthew 25

• Psalm 84

• Micah 6

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Until next time, friends!

Keep pressing on, knowing that the One who calls us is faithful to see us through every step of the way

1. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

2. casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; ( 2 Corinthians 10:5 ASV)

3. I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14 AMP)

4. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)