My son-in-law, Richard, is a Marine and is currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in southern California. Previously, he was in Washington, D.C. at the “8th and I” barracks. His duties included serving at the White House, serving in the honor guard for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and also performing in parades. It was a prestigious assignment. Very few are ever selected.

A few years ago, while visiting Richard and my daughter, Rachel, we watched one of the parades and also got to see the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon perform. You can see them here at a performance in Denver:

I love the precision. I love how everyone is in step. They all know what to do and then do it with excellence. Obviously, they trained long and hard to pull this off.

Imagine what it would have looked like had one or two of them decided to just do their own thing. Sure, they knew what to do, but because they didn’t feel like it, they decided to go in a new direction.

Of course, none of them would have even considered not marching according to the pattern they were given. The consequences would have been awful.

Unfortunately, we often seem to do our own thing when it comes to living according to God’s commands. We know what to do, but choose not to do it. Oh, I know we’ve got all kinds of reasons for not obeying, but the bottom line is that we choose not to obey. No one else makes us. It’s on us.

Check out what God said to the prophet Ezekiel:

“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.” (Ezekiel 33:30-33)

Through Ezekiel, the people were hearing God’s word…they just weren’t putting it into practice. They talked about it. They even told others to come and hear it. They expressed devotion to it with their mouths, but their hearts weren’t in it, so they weren’t obeying it.

Can you relate?

Do you listen to a sermon, but forget it before lunch is even over?

Do you read the Bible looking for a few words to encourage you, but fail to put it into practice?

Have you felt God convicting you of sin, but have excused your behavior with, “God understands; He’ll forgive me”?

It’s easy to deceive ourselves. Really easy. I’m guilty of it. Are you?

I suspect that most of my difficulties are due not to a lack of knowledge, but simply a lack of obedience. My life doesn’t change through the accumulation of knowledge. My life changes when I obey God. Period.

So what do you need to do today? Not think about. Not talk about. Not study. Not understand better. Just do.

It’s time to change your life.