Obligation

I have always hated obligation. When I was a child, being told I had to do something automatically made a task less enjoyable. I found this especially true in English class, where being assigned a book made me dislike the book a little, even if I would have loved it had I but chosen to read it on my own.

And there is the key, choice. Obligation has a connotation of being against one's will. Or at least something one would not choose to do if the world were operating "perfectly." For example, most people would not choose, in a perfect world, to pay the electric bill, yet most people do so now because not to do so leaves them in the dark. Obligation often operates out of the fear of a negative consequence. The darkness of not paying an electric bill, the guilt of not repaying a kindness, the bad grade at not doing a book report. 

Yet paying bills, giving a meaningless gift, or doing a book report is not something most people would do on their own. This is where the problem of obligation comes in. Obligation is separating. Nobody throws themselves 100% into any task they do not desire to do. Thus, there is always a part of them that they hold back. The part that screams, "I worked hard for this money and now I have to give a substantial amount to the electric company." This part of them is the 10%, and the 90% that writes the check is separate from this 10%. 

(I say 10% arbitrarily, because I don't know exactly what percent of a person it would be, but I do know that it is less than the percent that writes the check because otherwise, the person wouldn't write it! The desire to have electricity outweighs the desire to keep the money you have paid for it.) 

But back on topic: the separation. Separation is always problematic. It is not identity. Identity is oneness. Identity is being One with Yahweh as all of His creation comes together as One in Him.

The worst way to be obligated is in relationships, and yet this is the most common way to be obligated. Obligation manifests itself frequently during this time of the year when people feel obligated to spend time with people they'd rather not spend time with or give people gifts they'd rather not give. But this type of obligation actually separates you from this person because it wakes up that little part of you that screams "why?" That part of you that doesn't want to do this thing. Then you are not only separating yourself from the person you felt obligated to do something for, but also from yourself as part of you wants to but part of you doesn't. 

And here is the most ironic thing ever. The root word of obligation is "to bind to." 

So let's redeem the word to its original meaning and purpose. If it is of Yahweh, we can throw ourselves 100% into the thing, creating unity. If it is of Yahweh, we will, through whatever we do or wherever we go, bind ourselves more to the people we relate with and more to ourselves. If it is not, it will actually be better not to do it. 

And here's the awesome thing, if it is of Yahweh, He will give you the desire to do it so that you CAN throw yourself 100% into the thing. Because Yahweh gives you the desires of His heart. And it is His desire to bring the world back together as One.