Obedience is done freely, intelligently and with reasoningtranslated

Obedience is one of the foundations of a Christian’s spiritual life. But it can be difficult for a modern person to understand this virtue, and even more difficult to assimilate it. What does obedience consist of? Who should you obey in the Church and in ordinary life situations? We asked Metropolitan Longin of Simbirsk and Novospassky to answer questions about the virtue of obedience.

— Vladyka, here is a person beginning a Christian, church life. How important is it for him to learn obedience? And who should he listen to?

— When a person comes to the Church, he must accustom himself first of all to obey God. He must learn throughout his life to recognize God’s will for himself and to be obedient to it. Accept with humility everything that the Lord sends in life, deeply believing that God Himself knows what is needed for our salvation; that not only the good, the good, but also all the trials, temptations, sorrows that a person encounters on his life’s path are also the action of God’s Providence and lead him to salvation.

In order to learn obedience to God, you need to learn obedience to people. After all, love for God is impossible without love for people; this is a twofold commandment: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength...